Downtown Fenton, MI — August 21, 2019
Over the past few years, the City of Fenton has taken great strides to upgrade the appearance of their downtown. A drive through the business district presents the city in a very positive manner. Roads, curbs, and sidewalks are well maintained. You can tell cleanliness is a high priority. The atmosphere makes you feel comfortable, like being at home.
Most striking is the beauty that well maintained flower baskets and curbside gardens provide to the scenery.
If you enjoy driving, strolling, and just sitting around the downtown area there are many people to thank. The Mayor, City Management, the Department of Public Works all have a part in setting public standards and maintaining them.
As is the case in any organization, nothing would get done without the hard work of employees who fulfill assignments and take pride in their efforts. Meet one such City of Fenton worker.
Fenton’s Flower Girl-Sarah
You have probably seen her driving the cities’ Ford F-150 around town with gardening tools in the bed of her pickup.
Sarah is Fenton’s flower girl and one of the people responsible for keeping those flower gardens and baskets teeming with beautiful displays.
Tending flowers is not the total of Sarah’s responsibilities, just the most visible of her jobs. She is responsible for the upkeep of the downtown streets and property. That includes keeping things neat, clean, and organized. She assists in snow removal during the winter months and keeping seasonal displays up to date throughout the year.
The flowers are a lot of work, they must be watered daily and fertilized weekly. The petunias currently on display with be replaced by mums as the weather cools off. During the colder seasons of the year, winter greens replace the flowers in the hanging basket displays.
A Green Thumb
Sarah has always enjoyed gardening. She earned the title of Michigan State University Extension Master Gardener after completing the extensive series of classes that address a minimum of 14 topics supported by a 1000-page Extension Master Gardener training manual.
For the past 2 years, Sarah has worked for the City of Fenton where she gets to pursue her passion for gardening. Job satisfaction often leads to exceptional job performance. “Getting paid to do what I do is a dream come true.” No wonder Fenton’s Flowers are so stunning.
Michael Hart, Fenton’s Assistant City Manager, says “Sarah is a great individual and a valuable part of the team that keeps the city looking its best.” Hart went on to discuss Fenton’s commitment to the public. “Fenton has made a sizable investment in its downtown development. Our first priority is to take care of that investment and secondly we look to make it grow with additional upgrades in the city’s future.
If you are out and about in Downtown Fenton and see Sarah at work, stop and compliment her for keeping our town in such great shape. Everyone loves to hear they are doing a good job, it generally creates a desire to excel even more. We all benefit from her efforts, Thank You, Sarah. Keep up the awesome work. And Thank You, Fenton, for providing a wonderful place to live and grow with our families.
