News : Youth Garden dedication honors many who helped after flood

Gardeners Martha Neuzil and Edwon Yedlik discuss plants in the Community Garden.

VPRD Director Duane Randall listed the many people who helped turn flood-damaged lots into a garden.

VPRD representatives and Extension and youth program participants cut the ribbon.

AmeriCorps Oak 7 members helped create the park, doing much of the heavy lifting at the beginning.

Two years ago, the area at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Second Street near the Cedar River was devastated by historic floodings, its houses destroyed by several feet of muddy water.

Now, the area is home to the Community Youth Garden.

An official celebration of that change took place Tuesday evening, as Benton County Extension Office joined the Vinton Parks and Recreation Department and others in a dedication ceremony.

Approximately 70 people, including gardeners, AmeriCorps members who helped build the project and city leaders attended the event.

Vinton Parks and Recreation Director Duane Randall reminded the audience of the Flood of 2008. The garden covers three lots that were home to houses before that flood. Those houses were among dozens in the FEMA buyout which replaces flood-damaged homes with green space.

Randall said the VPRD was responsible for the building of the garden and the Extension for the programs and planting.

The project, he said, was a "real good marriage" between the two entities.

The Oak 7 AmeriCorps team did much of the building work, building elevated plant beds, placing rocks and even moving a heavy clothesline pole with attached concrete for use as a birdhouse hanger.

Gardeners including Martha Neuzil, and Master Gardeners Edwon Yedlik, Chris Birker and Eileen Loan of Channel 7 TV, donated their expertise and hours of their time. Randall said Neuzil has worked virtually every day on the garden and its plants and vegetables.

Randall also thanked city leaders including Mayor John Watson and City Coordinator Andy Lent for working with FEMA to get approval for the garden. He also gave the VPRD Board credit for its efforts on behalf of this and other VPRD projects.

4-H youth members Sarah Kreutner and Aspen Hepker participated in the ribbon cutting ceromony. They were among many 4-H members who helped at the garden.