Residents Jonna and John Murphy won a blue ribbon from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society garden contest earlier this spring. The Murphys dedicated their garden to the memory of East Washington resident Nicholas Cumer, who was killed in 2019 in a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio.

“We were so happy to share our award with our backyard neighbors Ron and Vicky Cumer.” said Jonna. “We were so very saddened when we lost our young friend Nicholas a year ago. He had helped us for the last two years in the summer and spring with many of our ‘digging’ and ‘heavy lifting’ garden changes.”

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society garden contest received over 500 entries from all over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. “We received word today that our entry received one of the 120 blue ribbons that they awarded! We feel very Blessed!” said Jonna.

The Murphys live at 511 Central Avenue, where they also started Murphy’s Little Free Library in front of their home.