Members of The East Liverpool Beautification Society meet to discuss projects to clean up the city.
EAST LIVERPOOL — The East Liverpool Beautification Society headed by Marybeth Jones and Janie Smith is looking for residents who are willing to work with the organization to help them beautify and make a difference in the city.
The newly formed organization is forming a board, creating by-laws and becoming a non-profit.
The group of approximately 15 members currently describes itself as a “dynamic group of business owners, representatives and civic minded East Liverpool, Ohio citizens who have joined together with the goal of improving the appearance of our town and maintain those changes brought about by all of our mutual efforts.”
Their focus is on positively transforming the cosmetic aspects of the city’s landscaping and infrastructure while highlighting the already existing beauty in the town.
Their goal is to clean up the city, not just the downtown area. The organization started working in the downtown area because they needed a starting point and that seemed like the best place to start, Smith said. That’s the main place businesses will come into, and they want that to look nice.
Smith hopes to be able to incorporate neighborhood teams into the group that want to get together and help in all different locations to try to clean up the whole city.
“Cleaning up all the neighborhoods in addition to the downtown area is huge,” Jones said. “But if we don’t have an attractive downtown, what can we attract.”
Members of the organization recently undertook a project in partnership with the garden club to redo the planters downtown. The group has a start on them, but still have a lot more to do.
Jones believes joining forces with the garden club which had provided donations, labor and help to the beautification society will make the group stronger and better.
Garden club and beatification society members along with others have dug up plants from their own yards to transplant into the planters and flower beds. The mayor and safety service director have also taken part in the project by cleaning flower beds, buying and donating mulch and topsoil for the project.
One of the projects the group is hoping to undertake is to paint all the lampposts in the city black, since it’s been about 30 years since they were last painted. They are also working on painting all the fire hydrants. They are currently seeking donations in the form of money or Safety Red Rust-Oleum paint which can be purchased at Milligan Hardware. Paint is $69.99 a gallon and it’s estimated that it will take approximately 121 gallons to paint the nearly 485 fire hydrants in the city. Paint can be dropped off at city hall. Checks can be made out to the East Liverpool Beautification Society and dropped off at or mailed to city hall at 126 W. Sixth St.
The beautification society began with a conversation between Jones and Smith, the wives of Safety Service Director Bill Jones and Mayor Bobby Smith, about how they wanted to do something positive for the city, Smith said.
Jones noted that a while back she was in a meeting where residents voiced their dissatisfaction, the ways things look, and looking for a way to make things look and be better.
“I think we all feel, our whole group, that if we can make things look better, we can attract more business and attract more people to our town,” Jones said. “So, we are just all volunteers doing the best that we can, but there is a lot to be done.”
Jones said anybody is welcome to join the beautification society and they would welcome any groups who want to partner with them.
“We welcome any and all help,” Jones said. “We are looking for as much help as we can get.”
The Boys and Girls Club will be working with the beautification society on an undetermined service project.
With the beautification society being a newly formed group, they have no money and have been conducting fundraisers to raise funds to help cover materials and costs for these beautification projects.
“We are new, we are trying,” Smith said. “We are trying to raise money so we can make a difference.” 
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