Sean C. Morgan
Work on the new Main Street median strip planters between 15th and 19th avenues was substantially complete as of last week.
“It’s supposed to be substantially complete by Dec. 31 and fully complete by Jan. 14,” Alice Grovom of the Sweet Home Beautification Committee said.
The median strip was a low concrete slab before Josh Darwood Construction was hired to add planters matching those along Main Street to the west.
After the project is completed, the Beautification Committee will begin looking for cash to fill the planters, connect to electricity, plant flowers and trees and install street lamps.
“This cost $13,000, and that’s every dollar that we had at the moment,” Grovom said. The rest of the project will probably cost another $13,000. It includes nine more trees and five more lamp posts.
Approximately, $6,500 of the remaining work will be connecting the planters to electricity.
The project has been funded heavily by Sweet Home Economic Development Group through the Community Foundation and directly along with many other donors. The Beautification Committee also raises funds through an arts and crafts fair it helps run during the Jamboree.
She especially wanted to emphasize SHEDG’s role in making the median strip project happen.
Other funds have flowed through the county to the city then the foundation before going to the project.
Finishing the project completes the median strip on Main Street through the downtown area. The median strip between 10th Avenue and 15th is already completed.
“The image that Sweet has (among) people who have driven through Sweet Home has just changed tremendously,” Grovom said. She has heard numerous stories from travelers and letters to editors complimenting Sweet Home for its work.
“It eventually is going to help turn around the economy of this community,” Grovom said. “It looks attractive and people want to move here. As you draw more people to the community, you draw more consumer-related businesses.”
She refers to a business representative she heard in a coastal city a couple of years ago. He said that when he looks for a place to move a business, eye appeal is important. Towns that do not look attractive are passed by. Towns that are attractive may get the attention of a business.
In other Beautification Committee activities, Grovom and Phyllis Osborn spent last week planting daffodils along Highway 20 east of the downtown area.
“For those who’ve been disappointed in the hanging baskets,” Grovom said. “We are ordering baskets from the same firm that does Silverton, so they should be beautiful….
“I can hardly wait till spring when it all starts blooming.”
Donations to the Beautification Committee may be sent to 1377 Westwood Ln., Sweet Home, OR 97386.