Weary weeder could use a hand with Main Street flowerbeds

It all started five years ago. I noticed the VFW bump-out, as I call the flowerbeds at the four corners on Polson’s Main Street, was looking pretty ratty.

My husband, father and grandfathers are/were veterans. I felt they and all veterans deserved a better recognition.

Under the auspices of the Greater Polson Community Foundation Beautification Community, I started to weed, water and clean it up. Eventually the project morphed into lowering the dirt mounds which couldn’t hold the layer of gravel – the gravel ended up in the streets leaving ugly dirt patches in the beds – and removal of the few surviving scraggly plants due to lack of sufficient watering.

The original plan for the bump-outs was to have water lines to each corner until it was removed from the plans to save money. Many a day I’ve thought their reward for this decision should be the requirement they water the plants for eternity.

I reduced the quantity of plants to a whiskey barrel for two flowerbeds.

The VFW paid for a granite slab with “ALL GAVE SOME – SOME GAVE ALL.” The slab was placed in the center bed.

This project grew into coordinating other volunteers for the other 15 corners between Third Ave. and Sixth Ave. on Main. Bless these women who have volunteered over the years. Several have not been able to continue for various reasons and finding new ones has become more difficult.

The city decided they couldn’t afford water and gravel so the bump-outs have deteriorated even more. A volunteer told me that a business on the street refused them water from their establishment to water the needy plants in their nearby bump-out.

Thank goodness the Great Polson Community Foundation gave a grant and does the coordination to hire someone to water the beds. GPCF has had to supplement the purchase of hanging baskets because people are not donating as much to that project.

This past Sunday I decided to work on the unclaimed corners as a steady rain made pulling weeds easier. It amazed me how dense the weeds were already. I noticed the garbage that was carelessly thrown into the beds, not to mention how thoughtless dog owners can’t cleanup after their pets.

Don’t downtown store owners notice how ugly this looks and how it reflects on Polson? Main Street is looking pretty shabby.

Frankly, I was resentful of all the people going by in cars who were enjoying their Sunday. I hate weeding.

The upshot of this letter is we need more volunteers. Please contact me to help at Suz Rittenhouse, 406-260-0480.

On a happier note, a big thank you to the GPCF and Sandpiper for the bright splashes, the fun and thoughtful vinyl wraps on the electrical boxes scattered around town. I enjoy seeing them every time I drive by one.

– Suz Rittenhouse, Polson