Hundreds gather with mission to beautify Youngstown

June 1, 2014 at 12:08a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Shortly after meeting Christina Buccino, 16-year-old twins Nektarios and Theoni Kasamias were happy to get their hands dirty to help her with a beautification project.

The Boardman High School 10th-graders initially were a little nervous, but they overcame their apprehension to focus on the bigger picture.

The interaction among the three may seem small or insignificant to some, but it epitomizes a core piece of community building – the kind that many city leaders contend continues to be a key part of revitalizing not only downtown Youngstown, but the surrounding areas.

“I heard about it in the news and was interested in helping out,” Nektarios said, referring to Saturday’s 17th annual Streetscape beautification project. “Everyone is very friendly.”

“It’s nice seeing how much of a community we can be,” added his sister, Theoni.

Youngstown CityScape coordinated the four-hour program, themed “We Canna! Canna You?” named in honor of the late Dick Mills, who, during his participation in Streetscape, planted cannas, which are tall, brilliantly colored flowers.

More than 600 volunteers and dozens of groups undertook a variety of beautification efforts in Central Square, Smoky Hollow, Wick Park, next to the John Young Memorials and several other areas and neighborhoods throughout the corridor, noted Sue Jones, a Streetscape committee member.

“We take volunteers of time or money, anything that helps the cause,” she said. “Every person counts as far as helping.”

Nektarios and Theoni busily helped Buccino and a few other volunteers plant zinnias, petunias and celosia plants just outside the Downtown Circle Convenience & Deli in the 100 block of West Federal Street. Beforehand, they removed weeds and added perennials to a median on West Federal close to the DeYor Performing Arts Center.

“I just met the twins today,” said Buccino, a member of the Youngstown State University Alumni Association. “We sort of adopted them. They were willing to help, so we mapped out a strategy, and all three of us worked together.”

Before her participation in Saturday’s project, Theoni went from having little interest in gardening to being inspired to start her own garden, she said.

Brother and sister also said they were grateful to be part of Youngstown’s revitalization and resurgence and that more people should see what downtown has to offer.

Small groups of volunteers of all ages in bright green T-shirts took advantage of perfect weather to add mulch, petunias, begonias and other annuals and perennials to flowerbeds along several South Side corridors such as Sheridan Road and Ipe Field on Midlothian Boulevard. Another group assembled next to the Covelli Centre.

Perhaps few people were more proud of the beautification project than Phil Kidd, a community activist who founded Youngstown Nation, a downtown gift shop.

“Youngstown has its problems and issues — we know that — but this is something that demonstrates that people care,” said Kidd, who was removing trash from and adding mulch to a small area under a grate and surrounding a tree.

The Streetscape effort is a well-organized, symbolic gesture of continued progress toward building community. It also allows a greater number of people to work with one another for common, noble goals, Kidd continued.

Echoing those sentiments was Sharon Letson, Youngstown CityScape’s executive director.

“It [also] makes a big difference in economic development,” she said, referring to the aesthetics in and around downtown that encourage a greater number of people to visit.

Letson added that her organization also gave flowers and mulch to several neighborhood block-watch groups.