Two local student artists and their art teachers, whose art has been selected to increase awareness about protecting local lakes and streams, will be recognized by Mayor Joe Thallemer during First Friday events, tomorrow.
The students participated in the Center for Lakes and Streams Art Calendar Contest, and their art was chosen to be a part of a public education project to increase awareness that roads are connected to waterways through the storm drain. Each student will have their art displayed as a wrap on one side of the street sweeper.
The street sweeper with the art wraps will be unveiled at 5 p.m. on the southeast corner of the courthouse. He will recognize Logan Haessig, a senior at Wawasee High School, and his art teacher Bill Eby, and Maren Lehman, ninth-grader at Whitko High School, and her art teacher Daniel Malicki. Logan’s art is titled “Twin Turtles.” Maren’s art is titled “Splashing Summer.”
As a part of stormwater public education, the city worked with the Center for Lakes and Streams to choose two art pieces from the 2015 Calendar Art Contest entries to be wrapped onto the sides of the sweeper. The art will make the sweeper more attractive and serve as a reminder that keeping debris, grass, soil, and other pollutants out of the roadway is an important part of keeping waterways clean.
In appreciation for their artwork, the students and their teachers will be awarded a certificate of recognition and a gift basket. Students will also each be awarded $50 gift certificates from 1st Source Bank.
The street sweeper is an important part of protecting lakes and streams. Every summer, the Warsaw Public Works Department works hard to sweep streets and remove debris from streets before it has a chance to enter storm drains and waterways. In the month of May alone, they prevented 84 tons of debris from entering area lakes and streams.