Twenty years ago, a few residents decided that they wanted to clean up Onset and make it beautiful. Today, the Onset Bay Association's Beautification Committee is still putting in the work to make sure Onset looks its best.

"The committee was established over 20 years ago and we have been responsible for cleaning, mulching, and planting the flowers that you see in the village of Onset," said Beautification Committee Co-Chair Lorraine McDonald. "We took it upon ourselves to clean up Onset."

Committee members donate their time and money to cleaning up trash, maintaining flower beds around the village, and planting new fixtures to beautify the town. Current planter locations include Dummy Bridge, Ann's Barn, Onset Avenue, South Water Street, and Standpipe Hill.

"This year, new planters were constructed on the Point Independence Bridge," said Committee co-chair Linda Gay.

McDonald said that with the Municipal Maintenance Department being so short-staffed recently, the Beautification Committee's service to the town is even greater than before.

"Today, the municipal maintenance department in the town does not have the manpower to keep up," she said. "So as a result this committee does a great deed for the town."

And why do the volunteers choose to do this often difficult work?

"Because we love our village," said Kathy Judd, who volunteers with the committee.

Other committee activities include Christmas decorations in the village and fundraisers to support their work. Their current fundraiser is a raffle for a handmade Nantucket Basket made by local craftsman Bill Judd, with tickets available at the Firehouse Cafe and Onset Bay Trading Co. and the drawing taking place on Sept. 1.