There are folks who believe maintaining a beautiful home and yard is its own reward.

But a little recognition from the community never hurts.

Last week, the winners of the 24th Annual Beautification Awards in Oxford Village were announced.

Six homes and three commercial properties are being honored this year. The winners include:

• 640 Lakes Edge Drive, owned by Charles and Evelyn Brett.
• 496 Sunset Blvd., owned by Jose and Rosemary Rivera. This is fourth win for the couple. They won in 2003, 2007 and 2011.
• 53 Dennison St., owned by Adam and Kristi Wiegand.
• 51 W. Burdick St., owned by Lynn Middleton.
• 75 W. Burdick St., owned by Larry and Shari Berklich.
• 46 First St., owned by Dave and Jill Powers.
• Lynch and Sons Funeral Directors (39 W. Burdick St.), co-owned and managed by Kevin Lynch. The last time the funeral home won a beautification award was in 2004.
• Mark A. Young Jewelers (31 N. Washington St.), owned by Mark and Betty Young. The store previously won beautification awards in 2005 and 2009.
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (113 N. Washington St.), owned by Dr. Steven Wolf.

Winners were selected based on their properties’ aesthetic contributions – landscaping, upkeep, repairs and improvements – toward the village’s overall appearance.

The awards are designed to encourage others to spruce up or maintain their properties, which has the net effect of beautifying the entire community.

“I’m shocked,” said first-time winner Charles Brett, a retired businessman. “Wow, I guess all that hard work (my wife) made me do paid off. She tells me what to do and I dig. She’s the boss.”

“We’re really honored,” said Evelyn Brett, a retired teacher.

The Bretts have made their home in the Oxford Lakes subdivision since 1989.

They relish the peace and quiet of living on lakefront property in a beautiful neighborhood.

“Every day is Sunday,” said Charles as he relaxed on his front porch.

Spending their childhoods in Detroit has really made the Bretts appreciate life in Oxford with its manicured lawns, colorful flower gardens and tons of trees.

“We grew up with a lot of sidewalks and very little green stuff,” Evelyn said.

The Bretts believe in keeping their property in tip-top condition because they’ve seen firsthand what happens when people let their homes and yards go as Detroit went from a “dynamic city” to a place rife with urban “decay.”

Kristi and Adam Wiegand on Dennison St. are also first-time winners. This is their fourth summer here.

“We feel very honored,” Kristi said. “Every summer we’ve been trying to do a little more (around the house). We love this location and we just want to keep (our yard) up and add to the community. We want the village, as a whole, to look nice.”

Larry and Shari Berklich, residents of the village for 27 years, are no strangers to the beautification awards program. They last won in 2012.

“We do our best to make everything look nice,” Larry said. “It’s something we do together. I do the grass and the trimming, and she does the planting and taking care of the flowers. We put a lot of effort into the yard.”

“It’s really a privilege to win,” he added.