Julie Arneson, Division Park flower girl
Division Street Park flowers 20 hours
The last few years we have been fortunate to have a volunteer design, purchase, plant, and look after the three flowerbeds. This year the beds began to take on perennial feel. The beds are a combination of flowers and plants, that when completed, will provide a longer flowering season. We provide pre-season preparation, daily watering and occasional weeding.
Serenity School 600 hours
Serenity Girls School works with the supervision of Marty Asplund and other teachers during the summer. From 8-11 each day, 4-6 high school age girls and the supervisor, take on various jobs in the parks. This summers work included painting the park signs, barking at Business Park, repairing chain link fence, and painting the playground equipment. We set up jobs for them, provide tools, materials, and instruction. An effort to check on the crew is made every morning.
Seth Rollins "Juve of the Year"
Community Service 700 hours
CAP- Through Community Adolescent Programs we are able to employ high school age boys and girls during our summer season. These kids supplement our diamond prep crews, park clean up, and PM project crews.
Dane County Deferred Prosecution- With this program we take young adults who are able to help us with tractor and machine work. This year we used them on mowing, landscaping, weed trimming and spraying, pre-season pool preparation and picnic table construction.
Stoughton Peer Court- These kids are usually middle school age. We benefit by supplementing crews and doing projects like weeding, barking, bush trimming and painting.
The community service program works because we get the most from the workers by treating them with respect. Our summer regulars treat them as younger brothers and sisters. The kids want to do work well and are praised for it. Most don't ever get to hear it in their normal days. We handle the paperwork that includes hours and evaluations.
Youth Conservation Corp 750 hours
For three out of the last four years we have written and been awarded grants for this youth work program. The crews are between 8-10 in size with an adult working supervisor. These high school and college age kids work on city projects in two to three week sections during the summer. They are responsible for clearing riverbanks at Mandt Park cutting paths at Schelefker and Lowell, and blazing the trail for the newly completed Yahara River Trail. We are responsible for planning the work project. We also provide support in the form of materials, tools and daily progress meeetings.
River Bluff youth placement 90 hours
Each year Principal Rich Pertzborn, sends 1-2 middle school boys each afternoon during the spring quarter. This program starts before the spring staff begins. It is helpful to have the extra person to help with barrels, picnic tables, tennis nets, diamond preps, and other early spring work. The school is looking for a positive role model and good work experience that may help the student understand the value of school better.
SAYBA volunteers 140 hours
Our local youth baseball supporters work with us in the spring to do provide pre-season diamond preparation help. Groups of player parents dedicated three Saturdays at Lowell, Norse and Oak Knoll Parks. They cut baselines, spread agrilime, and build up pitching mounds. We provide tools, materials and guidance and clean up for the projects.
Youth Soccer 20 hours
Youth soccer volunteers cleared surface stones and filled holes at Virgin Lake Park during July in preparation for the fall season. We provided dirt and removed the piles of stones.
Fleetguard/Nelson volunteers 70 hours
A wonderful association began this year when we worked together to clean up and rebuild the bush and flower boxes at the Fourth and Main parking lot. In one day a crew of ten skilled adults replaced ties (at Nelson's expense!), planted bushes and flowers, trimmed trees, barked, mowed, trimmed and cleaned the area. They even painted the parking stall lines. On top of it the timing was perfect for Syttende Mai! We supervised the project proving necessary materials and tools. We hope to rebuild the Lowell walkbridge (washed out with large rainfall), this fall or next spring.
Girl and Boy Scouts 50 hours
This year we were able to get assistance from three different scout groups. In the spring Webelos cleaned the greenways near Pick n Save. Our riverbanks got a spring cleaning by one girl scout troop while another donated and planted flowers in our Fourth/Main parking lot.
Eagle Scouts 40 hours
Each year we work with 2-3 Boy Scouts that do a project for Eagle Scout status. The city has received a handicapped picnic table, two benches and a flower/bush box at East Park; a resting bench and cleaning of large metal near Virgin Lake; player benches for basketball at Lowell and Norse Parks; one large bush and flower box/sign on the Yahara River trail; and two flower boxes, 2 benches, and 5 bat houses at Schefelker Park. We provide the materials, design approval, committee approval when needed, and maintenance of the project.
Other school projects 30 hours
Each year we work with science classes at the middle school, Fox Prairie, and Kegonsa on Arbor Day projects. Usually this involves clean-ups but we have also done barking and tree planting projects. We provide bags and disposal, bark and tools for the projects.
To keep these relationships strong and build new ones we try to make sure that each group has what they need to make their experience a good one. We provide public relation opportunities and deliver the needed appreciation.