Volunteers, students collaborate to beautify local city

MARQUETTE — Volunteers within the community and students from a local middle school took advantage of Friday’s warm weather to help beautify the City of Marquette.

The Marquette Beautification and Restoration Committee along with nearly 400 students from Bothwell Middle School spent this afternoon planting flowers on the east side of US-41 South. Twenty-nine years ago, blight and weeds welcomed visitors into Marquette, but for nearly three decades, volunteers have turned out to spruce up the entry into the city. Barb Kelly, the Vice President of the committee, says the project is a good end of the year activity for students to get out and enjoy the warm weather.

“Every time I see parents of students who planted, they say their student watched the area where they planted all summer long and every time they go by in a car, they make everyone look at it and they’re so proud of it,” said Kelly. “It’s great when a child learns civil responsibility and learns they can garden and beautify their city all at the same time. It’s just a win-win for everybody.”

Over 30 kinds of flowers purchased locally from Nagelkirk in Harvey now line the east side of 41, but the job is done quite yet. Volunteers will be back out tomorrow to plant the west side of the highway. If you’d like to help, you can join the committee’s quest to beautify the city at 10am Saturday.