On a hot and humid day you’ll probably find most people in their houses with the air conditioning on full blast.
But not Lauren Mathler and Brian O’Donnell.
On a recent Friday morning the pair was hard at work, planting flowers at a rapid pace as sweat covered their faces.
Mathler, a State College native and O’Donnell, a State College ordinance enforcement officer are both volunteering their time as part of a mission to keep their town looking good.
“I have a landscaping background because I did landscaping over summer all my life,” says O’Donnell. “I’ve lived here for 20 years and I want to keep our city looking nice.”
You can see some of their handiwork at the intersection of North Atherton Street and West College Avenue where they helped plant dozens of yellow and white blooms in a garden maintained by the borough.
“I volunteer whenever I get a chance to,” says Mathler. “As a citizen I wanted to help and give back to the community.”
There are 10 different flower beds scattered across State College and keeping them watered and weeded is an ongoing job.
Steve Shirey, a foreman in the public works department says they’ve planted more than 5,000 flowers with the help of volunteers. But they need some extra hands to keep everything looking green. State College Borough is asking community members to help maintain their flower beds.
“These are beautiful flowers,” says Shirey. “With the planting almost complete, we need more community involvement to keep these flowers alive.”
If you want to help out and become a volunteer gardener you can contact Shirey at (814)-360-1649.
Popular Stories:
Centre Wildlife Care Puts Up ‘No Vacancy’ Sign, Warns Against Moving Fawns
Office of Open Records Shoots Down Appeal to Release Judges’ Phone Records
County Commissioner Demands Court System ‘Clean Up its Act’
Former Police Officer Charged With Stealing Drugs From Evidence Room
Of Japanese Toilets and Greek Breakfasts
Penn State Football: Paterno, Fusina And Bahr Set To Be Inducted In PA Sports Hall Of Fame
Penn State Football: As Summer Approaches, James Franklin Is Already On Message
Penn State Football: Zembiec Picks Up Invitation To Elite 11 Finals
Penn State Football: Finding The Cheapest Ticket To Each Of Penn State’s Games This Year
Penn State 3rd in Big Ten With 31 Players on NFL Camp Rosters
