First family to join Adopt-A-Street program
By Barb Pert Templeton
Members of the Algonac City Council recently honored a local family for adopting a street in the city. The honor included having a street sign put in place on the block that bares the family’s name.
During a meeting on Aug. 15 Mayor Pro Tem Ray Martin presented the Okum family with an Algonac Asset Award for being the first family to adopt a street in Algonac.
“It’s always nice when it’s my turn to present an award like this to people that I’ve known for quite a while…thank you for being the kind people that you are,” Martin said.
Heather Okum Zenn had contacted the city and asked to adopt or dedicate a street on behalf of her grandparents, Butch and Rose Okum, who have lived on Virginia Lane for over 50 years.
Rose and Butch Okum, who have lived on the same street in Algonac for 50 years, were honored with an Algonac Asset Award by the city council on Aug. 15. The award was presented to the couple by Mayor Pro Tem Ray Martin.
The city agreed that this was a great suggestion and launched an Adopt-A-Street program seeing it as an opportunity to teach kids about public service and noting that it’s a local activity that family members of all ages can participate in together.
Algonac City Manager Denice Gerstenberg introduced both the street and an adopt a park program to officials back in July and explained that the idea actually came from residents in the city.
“Residents have expressed an interest in adopting their local street so twice a year they will be doing cleanup of that street,” Gerstenberg said at the time. “And we have some service organizations interested in adopting the parks and they would also be responsible for cleaning up those parks twice a year.”
The distinction between the two programs is that individuals can adopt a city street but the adopt a park program is for a larger group like a service organization or it can be a whole family that adopts a park too, Gerstenberg said.
The city will provide plaques stating who adopted an area, be it street or park, and they will be put in place near the sites.
The five parks in Algonac that are eligible for the program include: Columbia Street Playground, Scout Street Playground, Lions Field, Smiths Field and Riverfront Park.
Gerstenberg said both programs are modeled after the MDOT Adopt-a-Highway program, where volunteers are asked to pick up litter at least two times per year between April and October.
Members of the Algonac City Council at a regular meeting on Aug. 15.
Several council members including Councilman Corey Blair took a moment during the council comments section of the meeting to thank the Okum family for their volunteerism in the city.
“Thank-you and congratulation to the Okum family, we have a lot of families in Algonac that can probably get an Adopt-A-Street sign as well, so hopefully this will move forward and get more people involved and so that’s great,” Blair said.
“I’d also like to congratulate the Okum family and it’s so great to see multiple generations of the same family united together to do things in the city and to support the city that they’ve lived in for so long,” Councilman Ed Harris said.
“Thank you so much to the Okum family, nothing else to say, just thanks,” Council member Dawn Davey said.
“Thanks again to the Okum family for adopting Virginia Lane,” Mayor Pro Tem Ray Martin added.
“Thanks again to Okum family, it’s a great program and I think it’s going to catch on,” Mayor Rocky Gillis said.
Volunteers for the Adopt A Street/Park Program in Algonac can be service groups, neighbors, or families and applications are available on the city’s website at www.cityofalgonac.org.
