What's new

The tree is up by Citizen's Bank, the lamp posts have been installed and the Avenue is covered by a blanket of snow.
Plans for the Avenue are taking a winter hibernation while we wait for warmer weather. As weather permits please continue to remove debris and garbage from your assigned spots so the spring cleanup goes a little easier.
I am looking for landscaping ideas for the following areas:
1. the little area by the bridge
2. both sides of the river bank
3. the area by Citizen's Bank
4. the grass on both sides of Chrissie's
5. the flower bed in front of the post office
I am also working with Jeff from Jeff's Garden Shop
for flowers on the front of the building I am in (Riverside Plaza) as the petunias were beautiful but not very heat tolerant.
looking forward to the first flowers of spring
Robin

Suff We Need Help With

Stuff we need help with in no particular order:

• Someone who can set up a website
• A weed whacker
• A leaf blower
• Dust pans with handles
• Plant material for next spring
• Mulch, topsoil, and edging for next spring
• People who love to garden-flower and veggie
• Someone to research zoning ordinances
• Someone who knows trees
• Someone to work with the Keystone Club

If you can help with any of these things give me a call at 491-2490 or stop in and see me.

Robin

After one month in action I am starting to see a real difference in the level of garbage from the bridge to 3rd street.
It is taking less time to maintain the areas that have been thoroughly cleaned and we have been adding small areas to our weekly clean ups.
Has any one else noticed that there are NO public trash cans on the whole of Pennsylvania Avenue?
If you also look up and down the Avenue you will notice that there is a lot less visible signage (clutter) on the fronts of a lot of businesses. THANKS Bob for your help with signage.
As I have been working in front of various properties I have been talking to people attached to said properties. ALL of them have been very receptive to helping out and a few of them have stepped up their own clean up efforts. My goal is to have all of Pennsylvania Avenue cleaned up over the next 2 to 3 years AND have a working plan to keep it clean.
Thanks to EVERYONE who is currently pushing a broom this goal will be accomplished before we know it.
Robin

T-SHIRTS

T-shirts are available for $7.00 either at Encore! or at the Borough Office. They are safety green (ok, BRIGHT green so you can't be missed) with "AVENUE IN BLOOM" on the back.
Please wear them when you are cleaning up so we start to generate some real interest in our Avenue project.
If you see me working with out my bright green shirt please remind me to put it on. I usually grab my broom and dust pan and hit the street. I need to remember my shirt too.
Happy sweeping....
Robin

Clean up Update

Recycling bins are at the Borough Office for you to use as clean up bins. Tell Nancy where you will be working and you can fill the bins with garbage, gravel and debris. Tim and the guys from DPW will pick the bins up, empty them and return them to the Office for use again.

It is working!!!!
There have been people calling me about cleaning up the Avenue AND there have been people actually cleaning up.
Yesterday John cleaned up in front of S&T: Bob cleaned up by the Taxidermist; and Jimmy weed whacked the river bank.
Today a guy from Citizen's bank was dusting off the signs; I watered my flowers; Irma,Jane, Loretta, and Rosalyn cleaned up between 2nd and 3rd; and Nancy ordered t-shirts in safety green for people to wear as they clean.
These are the people I know about... if you helped out let me know so I can give you a heart felt THANK YOU.
Prettying up Matamoras one weed at a time
Robin

CONTACT INFO

Robin at Encore! 570-491-2490
Nancy at the Borough Office 570-491-2771
flowers18336@yahoo.com

Mini Park by Bridge

Tim and his guys from DPW ripped everthing out.

Matt and his guys from Exteriorscape added soil, mulch and pavers.

Jeff from Jeff's Garden supplied all the shrubs and flowers.

Tim and his guys came back, planted all the pretty stuff and weed-whacked the bank.

Joe from Keystone Arms sent over the water.

Many hands.......much time.......pretty blossoms.

New Beginings

I want to smile as I drive down Pennsylvania Avenue to my store in the morning and I want you to smile too as you go back and forth along the Avenue. In order to do this we need to give our main street a face lift from the bridge to 84. You can help by sweeping the sidewalks and curbs, pulling weeds and planting flowers. You can contact Nancy in the Borough Office at
570-491-2771 or Robin at 570-491-2490. We are in the process of getting off the ground and your help is very important to us.
Pennsylvania Ave didn't get messy overnight and it won't be cleaned up overnight but with your help we will bring color and order back to our beloved city. If you have some free time grab a broom, dust pan and garbage bag and start cleaning. Debris can be dropped off at Encore! for now. As we get going we will have places up and down the Avenue for all the garbage and weeds you clean up.
Your first mission is to pick a spot along the Avenue from the bridge to 10th street and start cleaning. Sweep to your hearts content and pull some weeds while you are at it. Remember, you aren't committed to a certain length of time. Any length of time is greatly appreciated.

With broom in hand

Robin at Encore!

General Guidelines

In no particular order:

• You don't need to sign up or attend any meetings.
• You just need to pick a spot on the Avenue and start cleaning.
• You can clean any time that is convenient for you.
• We are concentrating on cleaning up the sidewalks, curbs and weeds for now.
• We will start planting in the Spring of 09.
• Garbage, dirt and weeds can be dropped off to Robin at Encore! untill we have more dropoffs for debris down the Avenue.
• We are open to suggestions of things to be done along the Avenue.
• If you have a complaint please give us some solutions. We are here to fix problems so help us with ways to improve our Avenue.

Here's to a pretty stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue

Robin