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Did you notice the fresh coat of paint on the steps of the Courthouse Annex walkway? On Thursday, May 8th the Johnson City Townscape Task Force officially kicked off the “Catch the Spirit” campaign by holding a painting party to spruce up the Courthouse Annex.

The Townscape Task Force was formed in response to a series of community meetings that were held in 2001 in order to determine the needs of the Johnson City community. The group of volunteers consists of members from the Chamber of Commerce. The objective of the Task Force is to “preserve the past, plan in the present, and protect the future.”

The first order of business for the Task Force is the current “Catch the Spirit” campaign. The campaign is designed to encourage everyone to “Catch the Spirit!” and do their part to beautify Johnson City through an effort to “Improve It, Fix It, Paint It.” The ‘it’ in this catch phrase is left ambiguous on purpose – referencing either an area building, sidewalk, yard or anything else that local residents feel need a little tender loving care. Ultimately, the whole point of the campaign is to improve the overall appearance of Johnson City. Although the campaign is in reference to all of Johnson City, the Task Force will be paying special attention to Main Street and other public areas.

The “Catch the Spirit!” campaign is co-chaired by Norma Honeycutt and Suzanne Milner.

Mrs. Honeycutt stated that she hopes “everyone in Johnson City will “Catch the Spirit” and do their best to improve the appearance of their property, whether it is personal, retail or government property. The idea is to make Johnson City the best looking town in the area. After all, we are at the crossroads to the Hill Country.”

The phrase “Catch the Spirit!” is intended to ignite interest in improving the appearance of Johnson City in honor of LBJ’s 100th birthday and Blanco County’s 150th anniversary. Many individuals and businesses, including the Mainstreet Boutique, Suzy Q’s and T&E Services, have made efforts on their own to improve the appearance of their property. For example, the Mainstreet Boutique turned an unsightly, exterior grease trap into a beautiful, raised garden area. The “Catch the Spirit” campaign is intended to encourage Johnson City prop-erty owners to take pride in the Johnson City community and make it an appealing stopping point for the thousands of visitors that travel through town.

“We want our town to shine. So we hope everyone will “Catch the Spirit” and make every effort to improve our community and make us the shining star of the Hill Country,” Campaign Co-Chair Mrs. Milner stated.

The goal of the Townscape Task Force is to complete this campaign by August 27, in conjunction with the county’s anniversary LBJ’s birthday.

They intend to meet this goal through a concerted effort by all business and landowners, city and county officials, and citizens, who will hopefully “Catch the Spirit” and give Johnson City a progressively more attractive appearance for everyone to enjoy.

Norma and Suzanne will present several businesses and individuals with “Hometown Hero” awards for making a concerted effort to improve their area before the campaign ever started such as the Mainstreet Boutique, T&E Services, and Suzy Q’s.

If you are interested in participating in the “Catch the Spirit!” campaign the next activity is scheduled to take place with the Johnson City Community Garden Club. The Garden Club is planning to paint benches and planters around town.

Other designated tasks of the “Catch the Spirit” campaign include making empty storefronts more attractive to visitors and potential buyers, adding trash and recycling containers in the downtown area, creating additional landscape improvements, and upgrading the appearance of public benches, planters and park facilities.

The greatest resources needed for this campaign are time and energy. The Townscape Taskforce will be contacting businesses and individuals to encourage everyone to do their part in this effort. “We are also seeking volunteers to assist with public areas and donations for paint and supplies. Remember, every little bit counts: from picking up litter to improving landscaping, from adding a new coat of paint to fixing up a storefront,” Mrs. Honeycutt stated.

For more information or to volunteer for upcoming “Catch the Spirit” projects, contact the campaign co-chairs Suzanne Milner at suzannemilner@yahoo.com or Norma Honeycutt at perkup@moment.net. Residents may also contact Kelly Carper Polden at kellycarpercomm unications@yahoo.com.