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Of garden gloves and puppy loves

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years AGO
by DEVIN WEEKS
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | April 23, 2021 1:07 AM

POST FALLS — A handful of students moved more than a handful of dirt on Earth Day as they helped beautify the grounds of 90-year-old Renate Libey's Post Falls home.

“I had to quit working. A year ago I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and that put me out of commission,” Libey said Thursday, looking around at her garden ornamentation, pots and trellises springing back to life.

"I used to do all that," she said. "Everything done here, I did myself."

Knowing that green thumb could use some extra hands, Mark Jones brought a team of energetic teens to participate in neighborly work. They prepared weed barriers in her garden boxes and transported wheelbarrows of soil to fill them. They dug holes, emptied pots, trimmed branches and did whatever else they could to help.

"I am blessed,” Libey said, sweetly smiling. "It’s a terrific crew. Everybody’s working hard."

Jones is the founder and coordinator of the Alternative To Suspension program for the Post Falls School District. Rather than have students spend disciplinary time at home or somewhere they could get into trouble, ATS engages them in community projects where they contribute their skills and have meaningful interactions with community members.

“It’s engaging kids in the community,” Jones said. "Primarily it’s the suspended and expelled students, but we have a lot of projects that are worthwhile enough to engage every student."

Jones brings his students to the Post Falls Senior Center and creates win-win connections for local seniors and at-risk youth. The students help seniors with yard work in the spring and fall, clear driveways in the winter and work on community gardens alongside their older counterparts.

"It’s not what we grow. What we’re growing is the kids," Jones said. "It’s the Renates of the world connecting with them in our garden. I have many Renates helping the kids garden. The older folks don’t have the gardens — they’re expert gardeners and they’ve sure raised kids. What we grow we give back."

Libey and her two 5-month-old chiweenies were thrilled to have Jones' students help out. The pups happily enjoyed belly scratches and pets from the kids when they had a moment between digging, hauling dirt and trimming trees.

"I’m happy. I love to see the kids,” Libey said. "They don’t let me do anything, just, ‘What do you need done?’ I love them. I love kids."

New Vision Alternative High School senior Logan Roberts wasted no time getting things done.

“I really like to help the community, not just for myself, but for everyone,” he said. "For senior citizens, it makes me happy I can see them smile about our jobs. It makes me happy in general. Working with everyone around here, it’s nice because teamwork is important. I just love it. It’s something I really like to do."

Morgan Hulce, also a New Vision High senior, meticulously graded the soil when the garden boxes were full.

"I really like helping out the community. It makes me feel really good," she said. "My Pappa actually got me into it. He used to move houses and then he would help plant flowers and that kind of stuff. So I want to carry on what he did. I’m going to go to college to be a nurse so I can help out that way."

They went on to conduct more spring cleaning at another senior's home when they finished at Libey's.

Jones said the ATS program is seeking seniors who need help with yard work and other projects, as well as those who are in need of produce at harvest time. Those interested can call Jones at 208-773-3541.

“I often say, a student has to lose themselves in the service of others to find themselves,” Jones said.

New Vision High is hosting its annual greenhouse sale from 9 a.m. to noon May 1. All plants, including flowers, herbs and produce, will be $1.

New Vision is at 201 W. Mullan Ave., Post Falls.

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DEVIN WEEKS/Press

Ethan Mattson, a freshman at New Vision Alternative High School, moves garden pots while helping out during an Alternative to Suspension community service project Thursday morning.

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DEVIN WEEKS/Press

Ethan Mattson, left, and Logan Roberts prepare a hole for fresh concrete Thursday morning while sprucing up 90-year-old Renate Libey's Post Falls back yard.

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DEVIN WEEKS/Press

Mogan Hulce, a senior at New Vision Alternative High School, gets puppy kisses Thursday morning while taking a break from yard work. The teen and her peers filled garden boxes and did other spring cleaning chores for 90-year-old Renate Libey, who was thrilled to have the help. So were the puppies.

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DEVIN WEEKS/Press

A team of Post Falls teens helped beautify 90-year-old Renate Libey's back yard on Thursday. From left: Ethan Mattson, Braxton Reuber, Morgan Hulce, Libey, Logan Roberts, Michael Witherspoon and Ethyn Christensen.

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