Senior Center and Museum get a fresh fall facelift

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September 21, 2012

Senior Center and Museum get a fresh fall facelift

Faith Harper Jacksonville Daily Progress The Jacksonville Daily Progress Fri Sep 21, 2012, 09:00 AM CDT

JACKSONVILLE —

Volunteers determined to make the city glitter from a lack of litter, rolled up their sleeves and worked on beautifying the outside of the Jacksonville Senior Center and Vanishing Texanna Museum on Thursday.

Emily Morrow, president of Keep Jacksonville Beautiful, said a group of volunteers has steadily been working on the project since February.

She said they pulled out rotten timber, old and dying shrubbery, and removed a large tree stump.

The perimeter of the building was lined with an “Austin Chalk” rock border, and on Thursday four volunteers and a couple of city workers shoveled in two truckloads of dirt to start forming flower beds. The dirt and a few extra hands was donated by the city of Jacksonville.

“It's a city-owned building,” City Manager Mo Raissi said. “Really, they are helping us. We are not helping them. They are helping the city keep Jacksonville beautiful.”

Morrow said volunteers hope to start planting shrubs next month, once they have enough funds to purchase the plants. She said right now they are looking at planting camellias, roses and oleanders.

“It's good to plant in the fall,” she said. “The plants will have all winter to take root and not cook.”

As the plants are getting comfortable in their new home, the group plans to add a fresh coat of paint to the building.

Morrow said the top border around the building will be deep rust color to match the tile roof. The second tier of windows will be bordered with a light orange and the ground-level windows will be bordered with a light green.

Morrow said the building is one of the oldest in town, and a good opportunity to show the public the work Keep Jacksonville Beautiful does.

“I remember taking my kids to the library here,” she said. “Every time I come to vote here, I think 'something needs to happen here.'”

Raissi said city workers made a new sign for the building and did the masonry work that surrounds it. He said the circular flower bed next to the sign has been taken out to improve the look of the building.

“The brick was already gone by (Thursday) afternoon,” he said. “They are going to bring a back hoe to move the dirt sometimes after (Friday). It was OK when we didn't have the sign, but we have a beautiful tomato that was donated, so we need to showcase that.”

Raissi said the fire department’s dumpster was moved to improve the look of the area, and the fire department has taken over lawn maintenance of Hazel Tilton Park and the Senior Center.

“They take pride in the park, and they keep it well maintained,” Raissi said.

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Senior Center and Museum get a fresh fall facelift

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