There’s the old saying that "many hands make light work", and more and more often around town lately that adage is being proven right.
I love that Supervisor/Mayor Ron Belmont is pulling the community together in projects like the town clean-up day and monthly resident lunches to gather input on town issues.
The latest example of this adage in town is the number of community groups and individuals volunteering to join the initiative to improve the downtown area.
Our elected officials have led the way on this project. Our last three mayors: Stephen Malfitano, Joan Walsh and now Belmont, have been committed to the MTA project. As a result construction bids are now in and are being considered.
Councilwoman Marlane Amelio was key in having our downtown adorned with American flags and in the recent approval of hanging flower baskets for downtown street posts.
Following the formation of the Downtown Revitalization Committee, landlords, business owners and residents have also been spending their valuable time and energy on the area. These efforts, like ripples in a pond, are extending further with other groups and residents stepping forward to join in.
Halford Luccock, a prominent American minister in the 1950s said: “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it,” and each group and individual stepping forward brings value to the initiative.
The Commissioner of Public Works, Tony Robinson has been adding to his busy workload in helping to get approvals for suggested improvement from Westchester County.
The Harrison Beautification Committee has undertaken to purchase shrubs and cover weekend watering throughout the summer months.
New Chamber of Commerce President and owner of the , Anthony D’Arpino, has undertaken to fund his corner site as a "model block site" in accordance with new aesthetic guidelines.
Individuals such as Chris Baldoni and Dave Tolvey have offered to purchase planters or provide plants. The Harrison-Mamaroneck Rotary Club is reviewing sponsoring of a "model block" to get the ball rolling.
The latest group to step forward in this town initiative is the Harrison Basketball Booster Club. They are looking at funding planters and benches, each bearing a small nameplate with a sponsoring family’s name and a Husky pride logo.
Booster Club board member, Coco Lefko, explained the club's desire to participate.
“There are so many wonderful people and programs that make Harrison such a unique and family-oriented town to live in and our passionate commitment to an active lifestyle is one of them, so giving back to the town that we love and which has provided our members with so much, seemed a perfect match,” Lefko said. “Our entire board is so psyched to help with the town beautification to further raise Husky pride.”
Each group and individual who joins the town effort in turn brings other groups and individuals with them and each adds something important to the project’s success as a whole.
I for one don’t doubt that all these groups and individuals joining together can make a substantial and real difference.
Famed American anthropologist Margaret Meade said, after decades spent studying human nature and western culture:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
