Main Street Fairmont beautifies Monroe Street ahead of mural unveiling

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Apr. 11—Honks and cheers of encouragement flowed down Monroe Street as volunteers toted paint brushes and garbage bags to help beautify the city Thursday morning.

Tim Liebrecht, executive director of Main Street Fairmont, said the day of volunteering is part of the organization's 'Beautify the Friendly City' initiative. Six downtown clean up and beautification days are scheduled throughout the year.

"This is our first one this year. We are just really excited about engaging the community and coming out here and really making a difference in our downtown," he said.

He said that he and the volunteers love the city of Fairmont and 21 volunteers stepped out and lent a hand for the effort.

"They represent large and small organizations, companies and individuals just who are passionate about giving back to the community. I think that speaks volumes to the quality of people that we have and the quality of the community," said Liebrecht.

He said volunteers were sweeping sidewalks, picking up trash and painting the old fire station on Monroe Street.

"We're hauling trash out. We're cleaning, we're organizing both inside and outside and we're just trying to really make a difference," he said.

A mural of the Feast of the Seven Fishes will be unveiled next week and Liebrecht said the cleaning is also in preparation for that. Main Street Fairmont commissioned the mural with the City of Fairmont and partnered with the Allegheny Image Factory who produced the movie of the same name as well as Marion County and Fairmont State University.

"It's been a true community effort," he said.

Liebrecht said he thinks that downtown is really the heart of the Fairmont community and thinks the history of the city deserves to be saved and preserved.

"I think that our community deserves to have beautiful things that we can enjoy. I think that really makes a huge difference in the quality of life in a community," he said.

He also said coming out to volunteer is a great time to meet new people and build what can become lasting quality relationships.

"It's just exciting to see opportunities like this where complete strangers are coming together and throwing in together and working together all because we have the common goal of making a better community together," said Liebrecht.

Brenda Giannis has been involved with Main Street Fairmont for several years and served as president in the past. She said she's still involved with the board and there are a lot of initiatives going on.

"We are going to start doing a little more investing. We have a lot of volunteers here. Investing in our hometown. Keeping it cleaner. Keeping it neater. Sprucing it up. Trying to attract more businesses and economic development," said Giannis.

A Fairmont native and lifelong resident, Giannis tries to give back to the community in her retirement.

"When we have our unveiling of the mural next week it will look really nice. Plus we want to maintain this and keep doing this," she said.

Giannis said she was raised with the belief that when you live somewhere, you give back. She said she's blessed to have received a lot of resources and blessings over the years as a retired teacher.

"Part of living in a community is giving back. If you just stay to yourself all the time and you don't give back you're not really fulfilled," she said.

Reach Sarah Marino at 304-367-2549