Volunteers give downtown South Euclid’s large planters a fresh look

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — Perhaps those passing by in downtown South Euclid have noticed it, and perhaps they haven’t. But to a group of volunteers, it is the details that make all the difference.

Mayor Georgine Welo has made it a priority to further develop the city’s downtown area, the district at Mayfield and Green roads. Large planters have adorned the sidewalks along Mayfield Road for several years, receiving the occasional cleaning.

At a recent City Council meeting, Welo expressed her thanks for a group of volunteers who were, at the time planning to give the pots a good, thorough cleaning to make the area a little bit brighter.

Those volunteers, who work with the South Euclid-based nonprofit KeyStone Community Services, did, in fact, get to work on the job, doing a large chunk of the cleaning on Sept. 21, then returning to finish the project on Oct. 2.

Thanks to a grant from the city’s community development corporation, One South Euclid — money that was used to purchase supplies at South Euclid businesses — and the quick approval from the city, the pots were cleaned using environmentally safe methods.

The volunteers out on the streets doing the cleaning were Susan Sering, Michael Sering, Pete Rice and Linda Thurston.

“Now, instead of dark and dingy, they are fresh and vibrant, providing a much more reflective representation of our community,” Thurston told cleveland.com, in an email. “As a resident of South Euclid and believer of ‘sometimes it’s the little things that matter,’ I am hoping that this will inspire others to believe that everyone can find small ways to support their community.

“Whether it is picking up litter during their daily walk, helping their neighbor with some yard work, or sprucing up something in their community that is saying ‘Wash Me Please,’”  Thurston stated.

“The development of the South Euclid Mayfield-Green intersection has been exciting to see. It is becoming an active hub for shopping, eating and entertainment.

“When people navigate this area, whether to attend the live music (summers at the South Euclid Food Truck Park or Rock the Block), catch the RTA, or visit any of the number of businesses, chances are they will see the large concrete pots that line the street from Trippy’s Smoke Shop to True Value.

“There are 19 to be exact. Each year these pots are filled with a beautiful floral arrangement but, unfortunately, the pots themselves are left to the elements, resulting in them being covered in black stains and moss. Without doing an official traffic study, it is obvious this Intersection is really busy and whether someone is traveling through or is a resident of South Euclid, these dark and dingy pots are not a great reflection of our growing and vibrant community.”

The work of the KeyStone crew has assured that the pots now have a clean look, and whether people stop to realize it or not, that work has, indeed, given the street a fresher appearance.

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