Saturday, March 19, 2016
By Bruce Walton
YOUNGSTOWN
Dozens of volunteers, benefactors and community members sat down in the Fifth Floor restaurant of the Commerce Building to learn about Streetscape.
Sharon Letson, executive director of Youngstown CityScape, started the 8 a.m. event Friday, “Youngstown: This Bud’s For You,” kicking off the beginning of the fundraising and volunteer drive for the 19th annual Streetscape event, honoring the guests for their help.
Streetscape, which occurs June 4 this year, is an annual event that helps beautify and clean the downtown area by removing street debris, planting foliage and trimming shrubbery.
“Those of you in this room are the reason we are able to make a visible difference in the community,” Letson said to the crowd.
Letson brought all the guests up to speed about the recent accomplishments Youngstown CityScape achieved, including awards, special events, installation of signs, lights and plants as well as the money raised and invested in tools and materials to revitalize the community.
This year, in addition to including Wick Park, the John Young Memorial and several others, CityScape will add Crandall Park as another location to beautify during Streetscape.
The organization also will have 230 people already signed up to volunteer, Letson said, thanks to the new partnership with the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program hosted by Youngstown State University. HOBY is an organization that serves local and international high-school students and teaches them about leadership and service-learning as well as motivation and building experiences such as volunteering in communities.
Letson then let several other staff members and partners of CityScape announce the status of multiple projects, partnerships and accomplishments in the past year.
Mike Gibson, property artist and owner of the landscaping company Gibson Works, came as a first-time guest of the event and said he’ll donate his company’s services to help with revitalizing the city with topiary – the art or practice of clipping shrubs or trees into ornamental shapes.
Seeing the vacant lots on the South Side, Gibson said he shares a common interest with the organization in helping beautify the city as well as involving local youths and community members. He said he plans to donate his services free of charge.
“I’m happy to volunteer my services,” he said. “If that helps out the city, that’s what makes me happy.”
Letson said she hopes to receive more volunteers and donations and looks forward to a fruitful year of help in creating a better city for everyone.
“We have been, and will continue to be, a proactive partner, a ready collaborator and an eager convener of projects focused on revitalizing our district, our city and our region,” She said.