Someone is watching you. Whether you are a business or a neighborhood or just a homeowner, someone around you notices how your property looks and whether you are taking care of it.

Your choices can have a positive influence on those watching, and your neighbors and/or customers, too and even our whole community. Or you can have a not-so-great effect on others.

When I am on the road, I notice how much litter is out there, what homes and businesses look like, and what business districts and cities look like. The overall effect of the image we present as a community is made up of individual properties throughout our county.

So, if you feel like griping, first take a look at what you are contributing to our community and please, please do not try to say you pay taxes for that. You pay taxes for decent roads, services, etc.

What do you contribute as an individual? Do you help keep your neighborhood clean and attractive? Do your home and yard set an example of what all our properties should look like? Does your business or workplace have a clean and inviting exterior? If so, then you may fuss at will.

But if not, yhink about it. Attractive places and green spaces are good for all of us. They make us feel positive. They make us feel healthier. They make us feel proud. They can even make us feel safer.

They make visitors — even possible potential business owners — to our community want to come back again.

So what do we need to do to encourage all of these positives? Look around first and see where you can make a difference where you live and where you work and where you play. Then jump in there and get involved. Sometimes, all it takes is a little trash cleanup regularly and planting a few flowers and plants, even in containers (just keep them alive by taking care of them) to make a major difference. You can make a difference and by doing so, you will encourage those around you to make a difference, too.

Here is one simple way to get started. Help us thank some folks who are already doing their part. Join us this month in recognizing some of the attractive local businesses by nominating them for our Win-dex Awards. Nominations for this quarter’s Win-dex Business Recognition Awards are being accepted through June 30. This quarterly awards program is our way of recognizing attractive businesses in our community.

It is good business to be an attractive property. It brings in more customers. It increases retail sales. It also helps create a positive work environment for those who are employed. And attractive and successful businesses benefit all of us by attracting more new businesses to our community. They make our whole community look good. More businesses and, certainly, more successful businesses mean more good jobs and a healthier economy for our community.

And don’t forget, those greenspaces make us feel good.

The Liberty County Chamber of Commerce sponsors the Win-dex program with Keep Liberty Beautiful to recognize businesses in the community that make the extra effort to keep their property attractive, clean and inviting. We need your help in giving these local businesses the recognition that they deserve.

Here are the main points to consider:

Is the exterior clean and litter free?

• Is the landscape well-maintained?

• Is the building exterior attractive and not in need of repair?

• Is the frontage property mowed and litter free? Is the sidewalk and parking area clean and maintained? Is this area free of cigarette butts (that is litter, too)?

• Are there attractive plantings decorating the exterior?

• Is the entry inviting?

• Do the efforts of this business help to improve an area in our community that would benefit from enhancement?

An additional point that could be considered:

• Is the business owner or manager a good citizen who works to maintain the road and the right-of-way where the business is located by keeping it attractive and litter free?

• What other reasons make this business a standout?

How are the winners recognized? Two winners each quarter are recognized at a monthly chamber Progress Through People Luncheon. They receive a recognition plaque and some other incentives from the Chamber, including their picture in the annual chamber magazine. They also receive a yard sign to display in front of their business for the quarter. More than 75 businesses have been recognized since 2007.

Nominating a business is easy. Just call or email us with this information: the name and location of the nominee and the reason for nominating the business. That is a crucial part of the judging, so make sure you explain why this business is deserving of this recognition.

These businesses are doing their part to create an attractive and inviting community. We all like to be appreciated. So, share our appreciation with a business that you are thankful for.

If you would like to submit a nomination or volunteer, simply call us at Keep Liberty Beautiful at 912-880-4888 or email keeplibertycountybeautiful@gmail.com. Also be sure to follow Keep Liberty Beautiful on Facebook and Instagram or check out our website www.keeplibertybeautiful.org.