BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- Until Saturday there wasn't much to look at on the traffic island that sits near Glenn O. Swing School in the Peaselburg neighborhood. Now a big "P" made of freshly planted bulbs and flowers marks the spot.
More than 200 volunteers from schools, businesses, neighborhoods and community organizations hit the streets of Covington on Saturday morning for an annual cleanup and beautification project coordinated by the Covington Community Center.
"We had a great day with a wonderful turnout of people," said Tom DiBello, a Covington resident and the community center's executive director.
"And we really had some great participation from a lot of different people and places. That's really what we're all about at the center, bringing people and organizations together and promoting partnerships that better the community," he said.
Shrubs cleared
One of the projects was clearing the traffic island at 19th and Jefferson streets in Peaselburg. Residents, including some children, and cleanup volunteers used a chain and truck supplied by the city to yank some old shrubs and bushes from the median.
In their place they planted bulbs and flowers and created the "P" for Peaselburg, Mr. DiBello said.
A white utility box near the island was given a fresh coat of paint. "It's a nice touch, and it really makes a difference and says that people who live in the neighborhood care about the place they live," Mr. DiBello said.
Over at Eighth and Russell streets, a mural depicting life in the west-side neighborhood was painted on the wall at the corporate headquarters of Remke's Markets. The owner of several Northern Kentucky grocery stores allowed the Westside Action Coalition neighborhood group to paint the wall.
"The mural looks great," Mr. DiBello said. "Not only does it make a statement about the neighborhood, but it makes for a nice entry point in the area."
Out in Latonia, student volunteers picked up trash and pruned bushes at the Ritte's Corner business district and around Holy Cross School.
And volunteers also cleared an abandoned basketball court on Lewis Street of debris and trash.
When the work was completed, volunteers were treated to donuts donated by Krispy Kreme and coffee from Starbuck's at John G. Carlisle Elementary School. Each volunteer was also given a Covington Community Center coffee mug.
The cleanup was part of Community Care Week, which is sponsored by the United Way. The Covington Community Center receives funding from the United Way.
Another cleanup
Also staging a Saturday cleanup project was the Redwood Rehabilitation Center in Fort Mitchell, another United Way agency.
Volunteers landscaped and planted new flowers at the center, which serves about 250 disabled clients a day, according to executive director Barbara Howard.
The center's clients have a variety of conditions, including cerebral palsy, neurological disorders, Down syndrome, spina bifida, visual and hearing impairments and mental retardation, Ms. Howard said.
About 100 people participated in the Redwood cleanup, she said.
