Members of the Levittown Community Council spent last Saturday morning weeding and planting shrubs and flowers at Yours Ours Mine Community Center's Community Courtyard and Sensory Garden. Working side by side with the Council members were several members of the Levittown Kiwanis Club. Good weather prevailed and the crew of workers succeeded in planting mugo pines, juniper, beach grass and alyssum purchased through a generous donation by Hicks Nurseries in Westbury.

Plants were selected based on the recommendations of students in the Gerald R. Claps Career & Technical Center of the Levittown Schools, who drew the original plans for the garden, which includes commemorative bricks donated by individuals and groups in memory of loved ones and by organizations denoting their history in the community.

The fund-raising courtyard project was introduced to the YOM Board of Trustees about three years ago by Louise Cassano, a YOM trustee, who also serves as recording secretary of the Community Council. Cassano approached the school district seeking the assistance of the students in the Career and Technical Education programs, specifically the printing program to produce marketing brochures, the landscape design program to prepare blueprints and the horticulture program to advise on the appropriate plantings. The project was given to students in the programs as classroom assignments.

Earlier this year, Cassano asked the Council Board of Directors to support a cleanup and planting project at the Courtyard, which the board agreed to do. "This is an example of what a community working together can accomplish," said Cassano. "We've just scratched the surface. We need to continue to plant, but we need people to buy bricks and to make donations to cover the expenses associated with the courtyard and to make it into the pastoral place it was designed to be."

The monies received by YOM through grants and government funding must be used for services provided by the agency and expenses associated with running programs. They cannot be used for the Courtyard project, which has fallen victim to destruction by vandals and fund-raising shortfalls.

"The Community Council was happy to provide a needed service to YOM," said Community Council Co-President Donna Ryan. "They've struggled with this project for a long time and many organizations and people in the community have purchased bricks and have a vested interest in this courtyard."

Lowell Wolf, co-president with Ryan, said "In addition to helping YOM, which has been in the community for close to 40 years, we accomplished something that will make the area more attractive and environmentally richer."

Any individual, company or organization interested in more information on the Courtyard project, may contact Louise Cassano at 735-5901.