March 22, 2010

Let's introduce our first volunteers. They jumped the gun and signed up as soon as they heard the date.

The first one is our "first family", Mayor Paul Dyster "Friends and Family" group. Wife Becky sent an early email and signed up about twenty willing workers from their extended family and friends. I assigned them to work around Main Street and Whirlpool Street.

The first two photos are from Beautify Niagara 2008 where they worked on Pierce Avenue near Main Street. There is always plenty to do when the snow disappears and last year's leftovers are visible. The next photos arefrom 2009 where the Mayor joined workers from Main Street Business and Professional Association and they spruced up the area around the welcome sign at the entrance near Ontario Avenue ..

Beautify Niagara 2008 Beautify Niagara 2009

Government workers are good volunteers also. Suzanne Macri is always an eager worker and she brings her fellow office workers right along with her. This group is from Congresswoman Louise Slaughter's Niagara Falls District office on Pine Avenue. The usually join the AARP and Black Creek Block Club group and clean up around the Black Creek Park area. Unfortunately Suzi is camera shy and I never get a photo of her and her office crew. Maybe this year.

Not so with our Public Safety Team. Camera shy I mean. The Niagara Falls Police Department always comes out in force along with the Niagara Falls Fire Department. Here is Police Superintendent John Chella at the kickoff with Fire Chief William MacKay in 2008 and block club leaders Bob Miller and Roger Spurback. Then it's off to "working the streets" for the NF Police Department and our Chief.

Fire Chief MacKay is the Niagara Beautification Commission Honorary Chairman of the event. This has been the case since the clean up began back in the 1980s. The Fire Chief is the traditional leader and Chief MacKay has proven himself year after year as he pledges his firefighters to help at the kickoff each year and many individual firefighters bring their families along to clean an area.

He also opens his door at his Fire HQ Building to our work party where we bundle bags and gloves in preparation for distribution. We clutter his conference room with boxes of supplies and his firefighters take them to the kickoff area for distribution.

Chief MacKay and Mayor Paul Dyster welcome and thank everyone who turns out to help Beautify Niagara.

More later....

March 6, 2010

March 6, 2010

SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT

Modern Corporation is another of our year-after-year loyal sponsors. Not only do they provide pick up of our collected trash bags on our chosen Saturday workday, but they always provide some gloves for our volunteers as well.

In 2008, Modern offered to change the logo on the side of some of their trucks working in Niagara Falls to depict the Beautify Niagara logo.

Pretty Neat - right! Look for that truck in YOUR neighborhood and say
"Thanks -Modern" for supporting Beautify Niagara.....

March 2, 2010

I promised to highlight our sponsors and will start with the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel. They have sponsored and hosted our "kickoff breakfast" at their location downtown "under the arch" on Fourth Street since 2006.
This is where our volunteers meet and pick up their bags and gloves and enjoy a continental breakfast to meet up with their "clean team" and get ready to head out to their chosen spot.

It is usually dark when I arrive on Beautify Niagara day to start the set up and distribution process but the Seneca staff led by Events Coordinator Karen Nordaby are already there with tables and chairs arranged for us and coffee and pastries ready for the 8:00 event.

They provide a podium and microphone so we can get pep talks from Mayor Paul Dyster and our Honorary Chairman, Fire Chief William MacKay.
They also allow the Niagara Falls Fire Department to park a fire truck at the curb in front of the entrance "under the arch" and we all line up for a photo opportunity. Then we head off to our clean up chores in various parts of the City.

The Seneca employees also send a volunteer crew out to do their bit to Beautify Niagara. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful coopertion.

Next you will see our first volunteers. Have you signed up yet?

March 1, 2010

March 1, 2010

Hi! It's time to sign up again for Beautify Niagara, the Niagara Falls citywide clean up campaign organized by the Niagara Beautification Commission. We have many sponsors which I will highlight as we move toward our target date of
APRIL 24, 2010.

You can follow the progress on this site at any time and I hope you will contribute comments now and then to make it more interesting.

I will try to add photos from previous years as we go along and list some volunteer information. (time permitting).

You can sign up to volunteer yourself or your organization by calling ReNUNiagara (our good friends at Niagara University) at 205-0287. They will take your information over the phone and pass this along to me. Your name or the name of your organization will be included in the "thermometer ad" in the local Niagara Gazette. Sign up today and be in the first ad.

Remember - check this blog often to keep "in the know"....
beautifyniagaranews.blogspot.com

Norma Higgs