They have cleared away weeds, sticks and other trash and planted flower beds to help beautify the entrances
TRENTON -- For so long, the sight of overgrown weeds and litter was the first view of Trenton for many visitors. But the city's gateways are now being spruced up, one eyesore at a time, thanks to a group of young people.
They have cleared away weeds, sticks and other trash and planted flower beds to help beautify the entrances at Market and Barlow streets near the Trenton Transit Center, the "Five Points" intersection near the Battle Monument and Martin Luther King Boulevard and Calhoun Street.
At the gateway near the train station, rocks and stones now spell out "TRENTON."
"When you come into Trenton, it catches your attention, it impresses you," said city activist Darren "Freedom" Green, who helped coordinate the projects. "It makes impressions on visitors and the people living here to take pride in their area."
The work was done by a dozen residents ages 16 to 22 who are part of Shiloh Community Development Corporation. A grant from the state Department of Transportation's Youth Corps' Urban Gateway Enhancement program paid for their salaries, equipment and supplies.
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Green said projects like these get residents to take more pride in their city.
"It gets them working on projects that empower them, educate them and allow them to become better people while rebuilding our city," he said.
Too many people, he said, do nothing but sit around and complain.
"Let's take a vested interest for making things better ourselves," he said.
Over the course of the program, the teens and young adults learned life skills and financial literacy as well as how to draw up designs and landscaping, Green said.
It taught them responsibility, he said, but also gave them an opportunity to get paid.
"When you work hard, when you do a good job, you'll be rewarded," he said.
He said he hopes the entrances will inspire others to follow suit and spruce up their own homes.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
