| By KEVIN BOWDEN
Staff Reporter
Kenton has been given a major makeover by a group of volunteers who have really spruced up the town’s flower beds.
The group of enthusiastic volunteers has left its mark on the town by sprucing up flower beds in the downtown area and at the city’s two entrance signs off Highway 45 West. (See related coverage, Page 18.)
Marjie Sanderson, the wife of state Rep. Bill Sanderson, organized the landscaping project that involved several master gardeners, members of Kenton United Methodist Church and members of the Kenton Women’s Club.
On a bright, sunny morning earlier this month, volunteers donned kneepads and gardening gloves as they worked the flower beds beneath the city’s entrance signs on the north and south sides of town. On the north side of town, with a slight breeze at their back, Mrs. Sanderson and her team got down on their knees as they dug small holes to plant a variety of colorful flowers.
“Oh my gosh, it looks so much better. Wow,” said Mrs. Sanderson as her team finished up its work around the north entrance sign.There was a definite sense of accomplishment as the volunteers wiped the sweat from their brows and dusted the dirt from their knees long enough to stand back and admire their handiwork.
Then it was back to work spreading a thin layer of dark mulch over the flower bed.
As they worked on the flower bed at the entrance sign on the north side of Kenton, volunteers used the back end of Mrs. Sanderson’s Lexus minivan, which was loaded down with large bags of mulch and flats of various flowers. By the time they were finished, the bags of mulch were empty and there was a tall stack of empty plastic flower pots sitting in the grass.
The beautification project is certainly a great example of community pride in action.
While Mrs. Sanderson and her crew were working on the flower bed on the north side of town, another crew was working on the flower bed below the entrance sign on the south side of town. Work has also been done to flower beds in the downtown area.
The beautification project originated at Kenton United Methodist Church. Mrs. Sanderson said the church recently celebrated “Change the World Day” and one of the messages was showing love in a language people understand.
As a result of that message, the beautification project was launched.
Now, the flower beds below Kenton’s entrance signs and in the downtown area have been transformed from abandoned weed patches into a colorful array of beautiful flowers — moss roses, petunias, black-eyed Susans, dianthus, verbena, tall-bearded and multi-colored iris, Dusty Miller, coreopsis, Asiatic lilies, day lilies, Japanese spirea and Knockout roses.
As part of the beautification project, Mrs. Sanderson has also contacted state Rep. Tim Wirgau of Paris. He owns a printing company and has agreed to provide new entrance signs. Alderman Tim Johns is working on replacing the aging entrance signposts with new brick columns.
In addition to working on the entrance signs and flower beds in town, the volunteers have also worked on the gardens of several shut-ins around town.
Staff Reporter Kevin Bowden may be contacted by email at kmbowden@ucmessenger.com. Published in The Messenger 6.19.13 |
