'Just Do It' to Make A Difference!

Sometimes, all one has to do to make a difference is to ‘JUST DO IT’.

Last September, Sue McQuinn of Patch noticed something in downtown Novato that desperately needed attention; so she decided to write an article about it.  Her ‘’ article and pictures of a deteriorating fountain with a dirty bottom sparked heated debatea  by Novatans about the future of the fountain with the history of the fountain in mind.

Whether it’s prompted by the noises Novato Patchers generated or not, City of Novato Public Works decided that instead of sitting idle and waiting to revamp the fountain, the best thing to do is to just make the fountain work.  – they replaced some of the most deteriorated pieces of the wooden fountain, fixed an internal leak, installed a new pump assembly and motor, sealed leaks in the fountain’s small catch basin, treated the basin an epoxy and painted it to extend its useful life.

I still remember the pleasant surprise that greeted me when I drove down Redwood Boulevard and suddenly noticed the water flowing again; just in time for Downtown Novato Halloween Trick or Treaters.  Such happy occasion!

Somehow even an old flowing fountain can bring plenty of life to the surrounding area.

As winter went on, the ground cover around the fountain died and the uneven dirt showed.  With the greying sky, the fountain and surrounding area in the heart of downtown Novato seemed old, worn, tired and, rather sad.    

A concerned citizen saw the need to bring life to the Fountain area decided to Just Do It by asking for help from three service groups (Soroptimist International of Novato, Rotary Club of Novato Sunrise, Novato Rotaract) – The colorful blooms brightened up the fountain area; ready for the record visitors to the annual in June.

Driving to work every day by the fountain, I can not help but notice how nicely those plants have grown and how the beautiful flowers cheer up the fountain area and become center of attention with water flowing in the background.  There is still a lot to do, but seeing this always brings smile to my face and joy to my heart. 

All because somebody decided to JUST DO IT to make a difference! 

We can help beautify Novato one patch at a time - You can do it too!  To find out more about how to adopt and transform medians around town, contact Novato Streetscape by going to www.NovatostreetScape.org 

But let us not stop there - If Streetscape is not your passion, make a difference by helping where your heart leads you!     

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