MECHANICVILLE—Fifteen Mechanicville High School students were honored by the City Council and the city’s Revitalization Committee at a recent meeting at the Senior Center on North Main Street when certificates of appreciation were presented to them by Mayor Anthony Sylvester. Twelve of those students participated in streetside cleanup in the city, giving an average of six hours of their time on several weekends to pick up refuse. Prior to beginning the actual work, the students met with City Supervisor Tom Richardson, chairman of the Revitalization Committee. Tom outlined for them the city’s plans for revitalization and the need for keeping our city streets neat and attractive.
  Working in the downtown area along Park Avenue from Stewart’s Shop to Main Street and along Central Avenue, the boys and girls gathered up enough trash to fill forty-seven bags and even removed an old car battery which had been discarded along the street.
  At the presentation, Tom expressed his pride in the students and his gratitude for their help. This project, he says, gets the young people involved in bettering their community, a “grass roots” effort which helps them to appreciate their hometown more.
  The all-volunteer group included Tom Bee, Ashley Bucci, Joelle DiDomenico, Jamie Dorsey, Lauren France, David Huggins, Brittany Hurd, Marcelo Maeda, Nicole Manupella, Sam McBride, Dillon Mysliwiec and Matthew Rocco.
  Also honored that evening were the three MHS students who worked on the construction of the gazebo in their WSWHE BOCES program. The solidly-constructed and attractive gazebo now stands in the triangular park at the intersection of Mabbett and Railroad Streets. Michael Corbett, Sabrina Rogers and Donald Sutherland were recognized for this excellent contribution to the city’s beautification efforts. Shrubbery around the gazebo was planted by local landscaper David Mastropietro, and a park bench has been placed alongside it for the use of passersby. Tom noted that Mayor Sylvester, who provided the hanging baskets of flowers that decorated the gazebo in the fall, also decked out the gazebo with lights and greenery for the Christmas holidays.
  High school Principal G. Michael Apostol was on hand to participate in the awards presentation. Tom expressed the city’s appreciation for not only Mr. Apostol’s support in offering this project to his students, but also for the support of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael McCarthy. These two worthwhile endeavors have made our young people cognizant of the need for community unity in beautification and revitalization. The care and betterment of our city and its surrounding area is the responsibility of all age groups.
  The supervisor says that the city’s revitalization efforts are ongoing and making progress. He is in continuous meetings regarding funding for the much needed stabilization and repair of the roadway on South Street hill. With a 1.2 million dollar grant received for upgrading and repairing the city’s sewer lines, work is well underway on the west side of the city and completion of the project is on schedule.
  Tom met recently with Anthony Giardina, Director of Regional Affairs in Governor David Patterson’s administration and discussed not only the South Street project, but also the Main Street grant for façade improvement. Tom says that the merchants in the first target area are preparing their plans for these improvements slated to be done this spring. Park Avenue from Stewarts’ Shop to Main Street and Main Street from Park Avenue to City Hall along with a portion of Central Avenue will be the first areas to receive grant money for upgrades. When this work is accomplished, the city will apply for another grant for the next phase of façade improvement.
  “You’ve got to do the work in order to apply for more money,” Tom says.
  Tom also noted that the Victorian lights that have been installed on the new retaining wall along Tenendaho Creek at the Saratoga Avenue entrance to the city at are now lit up at night presenting an attractive welcome to motorists coming into the city.
  Tom is pleased with the progress of ongoing revitalization and beautification efforts in the city, thanks not only to these fifteen honored high school students, but to our business and store owners and operators, organizations and homeowners as well.