Bergen celebrates 'Community Action' day

Residents in the Village of Bergen will be coming together to celebrate and beautify the area on Community Action Day.

The day began as a collaboration between village resident and artist Cindy DeFelice and Tracy John, former village administrator.

"As an artist who had just moved back to my hometown of Bergen (in the fall of 2004) I was looking for ways to connect with the area and the community," DeFelice said. "I approached Tracy about some existing volunteer opportunities in the village and during our conversations she told me about an event that she had participated in called "Community Pride Day" that was centered around winter garbage pick-up but Tracy wanted to develop something bigger in Bergen."

DeFelice said that even though she grew up in Bergen, her recent move back to the community required her to get reacquainted with the area and the people in it. "I began asking everyone around me questions like: 'Who lives here?' 'What is this place?' and "What makes Bergen different from other small places?' "

Because no one could really answer her questions she developed ideas for a community wide event with the hopes of creating an interaction between resident and to gain answers to her questions.

Her dream for the Community Action Day, which is scheduled for May 14 was to make it more than just a spring cleaning day. The event was developed to add new facets to Bergen's identity, she said.

"I envision Bergen's Community Day as a day of deepening involvement for the people who live here, more of a Community Action Day, with a subtle slant on education and a focus on action through interaction," she said. "I thought it would be an interesting approach to not only ask local clubs to financially sponsor or participate in the day, but to ask them to micro-organize an activity."

Another component of the day is to give further exposure for local artists. An artist's display was unable to be put together for this year's event but DeFelice hopes it will become a part of the event in the future.

"Local artist's work and public art are key in constructing a sense of place as well as providing markers to locate our local history as it connects to our broader region's and nation's experiences and concerns," DeFelice said.

The Parks Committee added a special event: the rededication of Carpenter Park as Carpenter Memorial Park. During the event they will be dedicating a bench to the late former Mayor Thomas LeSage.

Sponsors for the event include: Bergen Business and Civic Association, HMK Automotive, Lacy Katzen, Ralph and Rosie's TOPS and Waste management.

If you go

•8:30 to 9 a.m. Registration for Volunteers at Hickory Park. Get your T-shirts, donuts, coffee and juice;

•9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Morning Projects: Flower box planting, flower basket hanging, flower planting at Historical Livery on Rochester Street.

•Noon to 1 p.m. Picnic at Livery and drawings for prizes for volunteers

•1:30 p.m. Ground breaking at Carpenter Park with memorial bench to Mayor LeSage, rededication of park as Carpenter Memorial Park.

•2 to 5 p.m. Afternoon Projects: Help Main Street churches and elderly residents with street-side gardens, light shrub and tree maintenance, flower planting at Village signs and municipal lot, installation of flower boxes.

•5 p.m. Walking tour of work sites lead by mayor and village board to admire work, ending in the downtown historic district.