Planting downtown - Public invited to help bring flowers to downtown sidewalks

By ADAM DRAPCHO, LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — The care of planters and flags in the city's urban core has long been the purview of downtown merchants, who comprise the Main Street Initiative. However, for the past several years, people both within and without downtown have been happy to contribute to the effort to make the city's sidewalks vibrant and welcoming.

This is the fifth year that the organization has opened up the funding for the planters to the general public, said John Moriarty, president of the Main Street Initiative. Each year, the effort has enjoyed support from businesses and residents well outside of the downtown area.

"We have had success reaching out to the broader community because our downtown is important to everyone," said Moriarty.

This year, Reuben Bassett and Myles Chase, who own Burrito Me and MC Cycle and Sport, respectively, are leading the effort to beautify the downtown's sidewalks.

Bassett said the fund raising goal of $4,000 will fund 50 barrel planters, each of which will be planted with flowers in spring and again in late summer or early fall. The fundraising effort will include the replacement of 10 of the 50 American flags that are placed on lamp posts, and will make possible the purchase of watering units so that the shop owners can keep the flowers looking fresh throughout the year.

The city does a great job maintaining "pocket parks" throughout the city, Bassett said, such as the area near the end of Pleasant Street in downtown.

"There's still big gaps of concrete between the trees," he said. He wants to place attractive planters, "so that it looks like we care and we want people to come downtown."

Those who wish to contribute can bring a donation to Burrito Me, Wayfarer Coffee Roasters or MC Cycle, or can do so online via the Wayfarer website, https://squareup.com/store/wayfarer-coffee-roasters/item/donation-laconia-flags-and-flowers-project. Checks should be made out to the Main Street Initiative.

The campaign began this week and is off to an encouraging start.

"Our main goal is to go around to businesses and ask them to contribute – this is our front yard – but there are a lot of (other) people who still value downtown, they still appreciate downtown and what it means to this city."

If the $4,000 goal is exceeded, he said there are other possibilities the organization might explore to further enhance the streetscape.

"Even if we hit our goal and that's it, and we're under budget, then, what else can we do to beautify downtown?"