Beautification Volunteers Aim to Keep Lacey a 'Special Place to Be'

Public Works Director Casey Parker has used his involvement in Lacey Township in a combination of efforts to focus on the simple aspects of beauty in the surrounding community.

Parker is a member of the Lacey Township Beautification Committee, which is composed of local volunteers aiming to establish low-cost ideas for improvements throughout the town.

"We try to implement those ideas to keep Lacey as clean and beautiful as possible," said Parker.

Several improvements have been overseen by the committee, though Parker admits the group tends to keep it simple when it comes to planning upcoming projects.

"We're not really aggressive as far as putting together big projects," said Parker.

Recent improvements made by the committee can be found at the corner of Haines and Manchester surrounding the electric sign. The goal of the committee was to create a more visually pleasing appearance for that area.

For the upcoming spring season, the Beautification Committee is planning to replace the "Welcome to the Barnegat Pines" sign and develop a more appealing site for the sign.

"We're going to implement some low impact planning to enhance that spot and spruce things up a bit," said Parker.

Each year, the Beautification Committee meets with the Intergenerational club to plant flowers along the walkways at Gille Park. Together, the groups also partake in various plantings throughout the community

"There are multiple activities we participate in throughout the year," said Parker. "Our sole goal is beautifying these areas."

Arbor Day is a particularly active day for the Beautification Committee each year. The committee works with the Environmental Commission, whom conducts a yearly poster contest for elementary through high school students.

"We join in with them on Arbor Day and have an event at Gille Park," said Parker. The event often entails a tree planting and information is provided to visitors about Arbor Day.

Lacey Township has been a part of the Tree City USA program for 20 years, according to Parker. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation. Conducting an annual Arbor Day event is just one of the tasks Lacey Township meets to remain its status as a Tree City USA Town.

"We provide an annual report on tree care and how we maintain our parks," said Parker.

Though the Beautification Committee works closely with organizations such as the Intergenerational club, which is a blending of seniors and younger children, Parker also emphasizes the importance of reaching out to the township's elementary students.  

"We conduct an assembly that shows the importance of recycling to try to reach out to younger children to get them in tune with the importance of recycling," said Parker.

In addition to recycling assemblies for the township's elementary schools, students are given the opportunity to tour the Public Works sites. This program offers students a first-hand experience of the recycling process.

"All of these programs blend together to create a beautiful town," said Parker. "That's what makes Lacey a pretty special place to be."