'See the difference': Middle school students, volunteers beautify West End garden

David Hurst, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

May 19—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Thanks to her grandmother, Tashi Walker had an early introduction to gardening when she was in elementary school.

On Wednesday, the 12-year-old Greater Johnstown Middle School student was putting those lessons to work for her community, working alongside 11 classmates to spruce up the 9/11 Memorial Garden at D Street and Fairfield Avenue for spring.

The middle school's Interact Club, Johnstown firefighters, city police Capt. Michael Plunkard and members of the West End Improvement Group were working together to move 40 cubic yards of mulch.

"It's great that we get to be out here, helping with the community and stuff," said Walker, a sixth-grader, standing next to a tall pile of landscaping mulch. "It's looking better here already."

The garden was first built in 2009. It is one of the West End Improvement Group's original gardens — but work occurs each spring to ensure it doesn't show its age, said Rose Howarth, the group's vice president.

Students lined the ground with sections of Tribune-Democrat newspapers to serve as weed barriers before placing new brown mulch down around garden areas and the lot's flag pole.

"In 15 or 20 years, when they have their own yard to take care of, they'll appreciate this day," Howarth said. "But when they drive by this spring, they'll also get to see what beautiful work they did ... and be proud of what they did to help the city."

Interact Club advisers Beau Herbert and Heather Lavely said the project was all about putting the Rotary Club's "Service above self" motto into action — and instilling it at a young age.

Launched under the Rotary Club of Johnstown's umbrella this year, the club has undertaken one community project a month, including a donation drive for Kentucky tornado victims and a canned good collection for the St. Vincent de Paul Family Kitchen.

But Wednesday was the first time the students got their hands dirty doing work outside, Herbert said.

Club member Andrew Campbell said he was happy to do it.

"It's such a great project," he said, "and you can already see the difference."