AREA BLIGHT A mended bridge to Liberty's future

The school project has changed the notion of what pride means in Liberty.
By ROGER G. SMITH
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
LIBERTY -- Jodi Stoyak often wondered about the spray paint that defiled the bridge over Interstate 80 near the township's schools.
"I was wondering why there was graffiti in a town like this," said Stoyak, transplanted here from St. Louis seven years ago.
She was told about tradition and the perverse sort of pride that some took in the bridge.
Today, Stoyak and her friends are teaching Liberty's youth -- through their school -- about another sort of pride in tradition.
This one looks much better.
Project: Last month, 66 volunteers pitched in to beautify the elementary, middle and high school campus on Shady Road. They planted new flowers and trees and spread mulch at building entrances, traffic islands and around school signs. Another part of the project, however, included that graffiti-littered 265-foot bridge.
Students designed and painted the sidewalk, concrete barrier and its railings maroon and gold -- school colors. The mascot's leopard paw prints dot the barrier. Concrete pillars below on Sampson Road that hold up the bridge, another favorite graffiti spot, also got the same maroon and gold treatment. Defaced guardrail and curbs are covered in silver paint.
The freshly painted bridge combines with landscaped schools to create an atmosphere everybody can take pride in, Stoyak said.
"This all looks sharp. It looks like somebody cares," she said, pointing across the Shady Road campus.
Schools and how they look are essential to the future of a community, said Stoyak, who has been involved with litter cleanups in the township over the years. Today's students need to appreciate their schools so they carry that pride into adulthood, she said.
"It needs to be a highlight of a community," Stoyak said. "That's what I want this to be."
Involvement: Seeing kids volunteer their time to the project was especially pleasing, said Bessie Anderson, a trained master gardener who pulled together the landscaping.
Township youths who helped make the improvements won't forget the contribution, she said. That bodes well for the future, Anderson said.
"They're learning the word neighborhood. It's a frame of mind. It's a way to think," she said. "They are the key in the whole thing. It's the first building block for them."
The bridge project has changed the notion of what pride means to youths, said June Smallwood, the township parks and special projects director who helped organize the work.
Students don't want anyone messing with their new gem, Smallwood said, as it should be.
"The kids are proud of it. It's a source of pride," she said.
Community leaders demonstrated their commitment, too, another signal to Liberty's youth.
Two dozen businesses inside and outside Liberty, the schools and township all donated money or materials needed to spruce up the campus.
rgsmith@vindy.com