MEMBERS OF THE Main Street Makeover Committee — from left are Kathy Westrich, Audrey Fredrick, Debbie Lindgren, Jeri Allen, Joey Swanson, Kathy Spade and Lynn Burke. (Karen Klenke photo)

NIAGARA, Wis. — Making the City of Niagara a more beautiful place is the inspiration for the Main Street Makeover Committee.

The group started in 2019, with members Jeri Allen, Lynn Burke, Audrey Fredrick, Debbie Lindgren, Kathy Spade, Joey Swanson and Kathy Westrich.

When she was appointed city administrator, Fredrick said one of her goals was to work on making Niagara more attractive to families and businesses.

Burke then approached her with a vision for city-wide beautification.

“I knew this was an important first step to drawing more people to our area. A group of energetic and like-minded people came together, we created Main Street Makeover and it’s exciting to be a part of this process,” Fredrick said.

Burke, who had run for city alderman, wanted to leave a mark on the city where she grew up and bring the town back to how it used to be.

“There is a lot of work to do and we will continue to make improvements every year,” she said.

The group started small, with a generous donation by Fritz Rouse, who continues to contribute to their efforts.

They began with fall decorations placed throughout the city in 2019, with support from area businesses and residents. Those fall decorations went out again this year.

In spring they purchased five large pots that were set up at the bottom of a hill at the waterfall display just off U.S. 141, Lindgren said. They planted annual flowers in the pots to add to the beauty of the waterfalls.

They also set up two flower beds by the river along U.S. 141, where visitors can view the bluffs.

Five wooded flags have been placed around the city as well, Lindgren said.

For the holiday season, they obtained Christmas trees to put by Vine Street and along the river. They also purchased many lights for the trees at the waterfalls, where Roger and Jeri Allen have been doing lights for the past 10 to 12 years. The entry to City Hall was decorated with Christmas lights and a tree as well.

Through the generosity of a number of people, they were able to have Swanson make 50 wreaths to hang on light poles throughout the city.

Future goals include adding park benches, more flower pots, art work, trees and Christmas decorations, Lindgren said.

They also would like to set up a farmers market in Niagara, make some improvements at Heights Park and decorate the flag poles and at the skating rink, to name a few, she said.

By joining the group, Allen said she hoped to give back through time and effort to make the community special.

“We are a work in progress, but we’re very happy with what we’ve been able to accomplish so far,” she added.

Lindgren wants to restore Niagara to how it was when they were younger and it felt great to live here, she said.

“We want to bring back the warm atmosphere and revitalize the Christmas spirit we all remember. I’m so happy to be working with this great group of friends, as everyone works well together and we all have the same vision for Niagara,” Lindgren said.

Spade wants to help “bring back pride of our city’s past with the hope of getting younger generations and new city residents more involved in our city’s future.”

“We couldn’t have done this without the wonderful support of so many people in Niagara and the surrounding area,” Allen said.

“Thank you to everyone who has helped or donated to our beautification project,” Lindgren said. “It has been great to see all of the support.”