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Athens Beautification Day 2013 Discussed at Council Meeting


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A representative from Ohio University's Student Senate shared plans for the upcoming Athens Beautification Day at Monday's City Council meeting.

Melinda Ruberg, who has been a part of the Beautification Day team for three years, presented accomplishments and goals of the upcoming project to Council Members.

Ruberg, impressed with the accomplishments of the previous years' 888 volunteers, said she looks forward to this year's project which is scheduled for April 14.

"It was such a nice day, we had such a good turn-out… Everything we really set out to do got done, pretty much," said Ruberg.

Athens Beautification Day is the largest volunteer project in Athens, a fact that Ruberg attribtued to last years move from Saturday to Sunday for the event.

"Last year, myself and the director wer almost in tears because we went around and looked at all the sites, and we really made a difference. We made the city of Athens more beautiful that day and it's nice to have that tangible effect on the city." said Ruberg.

For this year's project, Ruberg hopes to increase efficiency with an influx of volunteers, potentially creating more programs to meet demand. 

Ruberg said that she'd like to involve more permanent residents of the Athens community instead of just students.

"One of the biggest things that we're doing differently is going more to the community members… We're also trying to do flyers or doorhangers or something like that to the permanent residents so they know that it's going on," said Ruberg.

In addition, she is hoping to provide more water and food at the event, which was the only major complaint from last year's Beautification Day.

Interested volunteers can sign up in groups or as individuals at http://athensbday2013.eventbrite.com.