Hundreds turn out to beautify downtown for Streetscape '13

June 2, 2013 at 12:06a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Anyone in downtown Youngstown Saturday morning likely noticed a transfusion of colors: hundreds of people in yellow T-shirts planting purple, white, pink and gold flowers to make the city greener.

“It feels good to come out and work to make it look nicer,” said Aquiria Bowers, a University Project Learning Center ninth-grader, referring to citywide beautification efforts.

In fulfilling her community-service requirements with the Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center, Aquiria planted geraniums and petunias next to the

Peace Officers Memorial plaque at South Avenue and Front Street, adjacent to the Covelli Centre, as part of Saturday’s annual Street-scape 2013 gathering.

The four-hour event, themed “Grow the YO!” and in its 16th year, saw participants removing weeds, debris and overgrowth, planting a variety of flowers, picking up litter and adding mulch to flowerbeds and around trees throughout the downtown corridor and beyond. The main areas of focus were Wick Park, East and West Federal streets, including the West Federal median, Central Square, Smoky Hollow, city hall, the green space close to the South Avenue Bridge and the median along Fifth Avenue.

An estimated 600 volunteers of all ages from throughout the region rolled up their sleeves and pitched in, noted John Lapin, a Streetscape committee co-chairman.

“It’s really a lot of fun,” Aquiria said about her first gardening efforts.

Working alongside her was Makayla Ortello, an East High School freshman who busily dug holes in a mulched patch for the flowers and who, unlike Aquiria, has some gardening experience.

“It keeps you out of trouble,” Makayla added.

Getting her hands a bit dirty with the two girls was city Councilwoman Annie Gillam, D-1st, and the girls’ supervisor, Robert P. Fabek, the justice center’s director of community services, who praised Aquiria and Makayla for their efforts.

A swath near Market and Boardman streets received a flowery facelift, thanks to people such as Sue Kasmer.

“We want to make part of Youngstown nice and elegant,” said Kasmer, a master gardener and volunteer with Needle’s Eye Christian Counsel, a nonprofit organization that provides a variety of programs, goods and services for those in need.

One such program is the Good News Club, which educates youngsters and teaches them better etiquette, anger-management and many other skills, noted Emaline Smith, Needle’s Eye’s interim director.

Good News Club members who planted many of the begonias, petunias and other flowers were Nasir Long, 16; his sister, Mykah Long; and Jada Edwards, all Youngstown Christian School students; Jasmine Davis, a Volney Rogers Academy student; and Jessica Parker, a Southside Academy fifth-grader.

Other youngsters and adults meticulously planted petunias next to the Realty Tower building and added mulch to flowerbeds along Central Square, the West Federal Street median and a portion of Champion Street. Others extracted weeds from sidewalk cracks, gardens and elsewhere.

East Federal has fewer weeds and more zinnias, marigolds and petunias, courtesy of those with the Rich Center for the Study and Treatment of Autism.

“We planted flowers, pulled up some weeds, watered the flowers and put down mulch, right?” Lisa Long, the center’s associate director of development, said to her 4-year-old daughter, Madeline.

An eight-member team, including several parents with children on the autism spectrum, beautified the area near the former Dooney’s Downtown Grill & Bar, said Long, adding that 74 children age 2 to 16 on the spectrum are enrolled at the Rich Center.

“The city of Youngstown has done so much for us, the kids and the community,” Long continued. “They’ve been so wonderfully supportive of the kids, teachers and staff that we wanted to give back.”

Volunteers from all over the Mahoning Valley helped in the Streetscape project, said Lapin, who also works for Ohio One Corp.

“People are proud of their community, and everybody pitches in. The local restaurants donated food, and there’s plenty of civic pride,” he added.