The playground equipment at the Beechwood park looks a little brighter now. And, the picnic shelter at Moulton's Field has a new coat of paint, too.

The benches and planters circling the flagpoles at the Center Street boat landing look fresher now too, with a layer of mulch in them and the weeds pulled.

The community cleanup was the work of volunteers three local churches who decided to spend last Saturday tackling community projects that might have gone undone otherwise.

"I just wanted to give something back to the city. They've done a lot for us," explained Carl Rose, member of Central Christian Church, and one of the organizers of the cleanup. Approximately 20 members from Central Christian Church joined with 241 volunteers from Russell Christian Church in Russell, Ky., and 30 volunteers from Raceland Christian Church in Raceland, Ky,. for the cleanup.

The Kentucky volunteers spent the first part of the day performing projects in their own hometowns before coming to Ironton. Some cleaned out a ditch along State Route 141 and Liberty Avenue. Others pulled weeds near the signs overlooking US 52 and the old Alpha Portland cement plant. Graffiti that used to grace the pump station on Lawrence Street Road is gone now, thanks to the volunteers.

It makes me feel proud to have a part in it," Rose said. "I think we should do this every year. We're going to try to next year."

The work caught the attention of Ironton Mayor Bob Cleary.

"They need to be commended for the wonderful job they did," Cleary said. "With our limited resources, we can't do everything that needs to be done. It made a big difference in our city."