By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Another improvement to downtown Niles is taking place this morning as volunteers help to beautify the Main Street bridge by lining it with flowers.
The "Blooming Bridge" project, which is being spearheaded by the Niles Main Street Promotions Committee, includes 70 five-foot planters that will be installed along the downtown bridge.
A handful of volunteers formed an assembly line to fill the planters with soil, fertilizer and an internal watering system, which was designed by Tim Polega of God's Green Earth.
With the threat of rain looming above at 9 a.m., the volunteer crew worked rapidly to prepare the planters for installation.
Wakevainen said they would likely work through the rain to get the job done.
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey has arranged for a group of four trustees from the Berrien County Jail to come help lift the planters and fasten them to the bridge, at no cost to the committee.
Once the planters are in place, the volunteers will fill them with begonias, that were provided for the project at cost by Polega.
The total cost of materials for the project is $2,216.95. This includes the flowers, the PVC pipe, end caps, cleaner, cement and cable ties.
The planters will remain on the bridge on a year round basis and will be filled with holiday greens during the winter system. The initial watering this summer will be done by volunteers.
Project co-chair Gloria Cooper said this project would not have been possible without the tremendous support of the community.
In addition to providing the flowers at cost and designing the watering system, Polega donated all of the soil and nutrients for the project.
The actual construction of the planters was done by Greg and Andrew Baker and Dick and Robin Cooper.
The volunteer planters included Martha Athanas, Luann Hargreaves, Barbara Magrain, Ann Raster, Pat Dayton, Mary Lou Grathwohl, Mary Kelly, Judy Richter and members of the DDA/Main Street Promotions Committee.
The "Angel Sponsors," who donated multiple planters to make the initial purchase of supplies possible, were the Niles Garden Club, Four Flags Garden Club, Niles Service League, Ladies Reading Club and Sean Drew.
Jim Griffith, sales representative for American Copper and Brass, allowed the committee to purchase the planter supplies at considerable savings.
Former Niles residents Bob and Jane Copping, who now live in South Haven and are in charge of the flowers on the city's Black River drawbridge, gave the committee invaluable information on how to go about creating a "Blooming Bridge."
The planters may be sponsored for $35 each for a total of $2,450. Each of the planters will be identified with a donor label.
All present sponsors will be given the opportunity to renew their sponsorship on an annual basis, which will make the "Blooming Bridge" a way to raise funds for the ongoing renewal of downtown Niles.
For more information, call the DDA/Main Street office at (269) 687-4332.