Austin and Ulysses will be spruced up later this month by young adults serving with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). John Bry (left), a downtown revitalization consultant contracted with the Potter County Commissioners, teamed with officials from the two communities to piece together the work plan. Nine NCCC members and a supervisor will be in Potter County June 10-24. They had originally been slotted for a two-week stint last fall, but were reassigned to emergency disaster relief in Louisiana. NCCC is a community service program for 18- to 24-year-olds. College students and other volunteers receive modest compensation as well as help with college expenses and/or student loan relief. Week one will be spent working on projects identified by a local community task force in Ulysses. In their second week, the NCCC laborers will work in areas of Austin Borough and the Austin Dam Memorial Park. Each community has in place volunteers to supervise the crew and provide materials.
Drawn from the models of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and the U.S. military, NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all citizens. Each team member gets a small living allowance. To supplement this, donations are being requested from individuals, businesses, churches, or organizations – bottled water or other beverages; gift certificates to local grocery stores and restaurants; sunscreen and bug repellant; access to activities for off-work times such as movie tickets or attraction tours; and sponsored/hosted meals. Donations can be taken to the borough offices in Ulysses and Austin, or the Potter County Community Development Office in the Gunzburger Building.
