Volunteering to Improve Public Spaces is Contagious

By: Susan Goldbeck

New Landscaping at City Hall complex

Seeing a problem and instead of just walking past it, P.G. resident and member of the City’s B.N.R.C., Beautification and Natural Resources Committee, Marty Dunn, noticed that the landscape around our city hall complex was in sorry shape. She told a fellow committee member who expressed concern about the issue, “I ‘m a gardener, maybe I can help fix this.” And she set about to do just that.

      Dunn told The Beacon that her first step was contacting P.G. Public Works Director Daniel Gho to ask for his advice and his help. She had worked with Gho on many occasions in the past related to her B.N.R.C. work.  Dunn had high praise for his valuable assistance and added that the project couldn’t have been done without it.

     One of the first things Gho told her was to get in touch with another citizen volunteer, Dennis Praske.  Praske and his wife, Kathy, who, after seeing the state of the landscaping at Chase Park, set about to pay for and pilot a project to get the area cleaned up and relandscaped.

These volunteers also credit the PG Public Works people with providing invaluable assistance in getting this project through the sometimes complicated approval process, including getting  Coastal Commission support. The stunning result of their joint efforts can now be seen at our iconic Chase Park at Lover’s Point.

     Dunn told the Beacon that Dennis Praske was enthusiastic from the start about helping her fix the landscaping issues at the City Hall complex.”He not only paid for the landscaping work, but he also helped manage the project and worked with the City on its development. “I got to help pick the plants. I did this  knowing that  using native plants and pollinators is important.”

     Dunn is helping out with the weeding and other continued care of the installed landscaping at the  City Hall complex, and she keeps it looking good. She can be seen almost every week picking weeds and doing other maintenance of the beautiful landscaping she helped create. “City Public Works employees, also help a great deal with the ongoing work. They are just just great,” said Dunn.

     Dennis Praske told  Dunn that volunteer work to maintain public spaces benefits not only residents but also businesses and visitors.  He said that this spirit of helping out the town is contagious, and that when people see and learn about what people can do as volunteers, they want to help out too.