Group performs spring clean
More than four dozen Butler residents gathered for a day of cleaning and community service Saturday morning.
The 55 volunteers converged on Butler for the annual Big Spring Clean, hosted by the Shade Tree Commission and Butler Downtown.
“We have a wonderful turnout,” said Julie Dandoy, Shade Tree Commission director. “It's important because we like to be actively involved in our community.”
The volunteers started down the street with brooms, bags and an assortment of cleaning equipment and gardening tools, many of which were provided by the Shade Tree Commission volunteers.
“They're all up Main Street, they're in front of the City Building weeding and cleaning,” Dandoy said. “There are many people who want to get involved but they don't have an organization. So we can be that for them.”
Along with weeding and removing thousands of cigarette butts, the volunteers are also adding flowers and arborvitae.
The Shade Tree Commission has been working on planting the arborvitae all along Main Street, and this year it finished.
“The arborvitae will be done today, but we'll continue to clean and maintain the city,” Dandoy said.
Shade Tree Commission member Jon Lex said this year went well.
“It's amazing just around the trees they clean up,” he said. “This year we had a really good turnout.”
Lex has been a part of the commission for six years.
One of the groups that volunteered was from a church that has recently started in Butler.
Brady Randall, Butler native and pastor of the new Orchard Hill Church, said his congregation is looking for ways to engage in the community and help improve Butler.
“We saw they were doing something to beautify Butler and we wanted to jump in and get involved,” he said. “We try to do one or two community service projects a month.
“We're happy to be a part of the community.”
While the Shade Tree Commission operates through and in cooperation with the city, its funding comes almost entirely through grants, Dandoy said.
“Once we get the grant money, we're putting the arborvitae all the way down Main Street,” Dandoy said. That project is finally finished.
“We coordinate with city groups like the parks and recreation department, which helps us clean up with the bags and everything,” she said. “So when I say we get our money from grants, it's not like the city isn't helping or isn't doing anything.”
Next weekend, the Butler Downtown Entrepreneur, New Business and Developer Tour is scheduled to show potential business owners what the city has to offer.
That weekend was picked specifically so the event would be after the Spring Clean to show the city at its best.
