The Brownstown Town Council put its seal of approval on a local group’s plan to beautify several public places in the county seat including the newly built Heritage Park park.

The Brownstown Beautification Committee also plans to do it for little or not cost to the town, committee member Joe Reynolds said. The committee is part of Brownstown/Ewing Main Street.

Reynolds recently presented the proposal to the five-member town council.

He said the idea was to raise money from donations and other sources to maintain the areas and involving people in doing the work.

“So it’s not really going to cost the town anything other than possibily loaning some equipment and hauling trash once in awhile,” he said. “That type of thing.”

Reynolds, who also is a member of the Brownstown Exchange Club, said the effort is an expansion of that club’s projects to beautify the entrances to town on the east and west ends on U.S. 50.

He said the hope is to involve other organizations such as 4-H clubs and the Brownstown Central High School’s FFA chapter to help with physical part of the work.

“… and other organizations to supply some of the materials and expertise,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said since most of the properties are owned by the town, the committee would like to have the council’s blessing so they could proceed with getting the program organized and people on board with the idea.

Town resident Mike Tormoehlen had agreed to lead the project and plans to hold a meeting in early December to start working on a plan, Reynolds said.

Some of the areas on the list include the entrance to the newly opened Heritage Park, the corners of the Jackson County Courthouse, the depot in Ewing, areas at the Jackson County History Center; the entrance to the Brownstown Park and town planters.

Council president John Nolting said he thought the idea was a great one.

He said the committee already included a lot of good people. That list includes Blake Hackman, sponsor of the BCHS FFA chapter; Peg Ackerman, Becky Hackman with All Seasons Garden Club, Heather VonDielingen, a Jackson County Extension educator for 4-H youth development, and Darlene Butt, who led efforts to restore the depot in Ewing.

“I think you will get other people who are interested in helping,” Nolting said.

Reynolds said a separate hospitality that includes Linda McCormick, chairwoman of Brownstown/Ewing Main Street, hopes to plan events for heritage park.

The council voted 5-0 to approve the program.