COAL GROVE - Undoubtedly, Paul Porter Park is a jewel in the crown of the village of Coal Grove and this week, some volunteers are making sure that jewel sparkles like new.

Approximately 20 Dawson-Bryant High School seniors opted to spend Monday and today at the park, sanding and staining picnic tables and doing other clean up work.

The volunteer effort is a senior community service project, according to social studies teacher Sandra Castle.

"The kids mentioned earlier about working up here and wanted to know if we could get ahold of someone in the (Coal Grove)

Betterment Club to see if we could," Castle said.

"This is one of several things the seniors have done. They've worked at the CAO (Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization), had a canned food drive, just different things."

Once they got to work, students said they realized their volunteer effort was badly needed.

"There was some bad stuff written on the tables," Alison Roach said, noting that the graffiti had to come off the tables before the stain could go on.

Neither she nor Candace Delawder nor Jessica Leith had stained wood before.

"But I would do it again for a good cause," Delawder said.

The offer to help spruce up the park, just in time for spring and warmer weather, was welcomed by betterment club members, including club president, Sue Triplett.

"I just can't show my appreciation enough for what they're doing for us," Triplett said.

"The members of the club are getting older, and we just can't get out to do this work. We want to see it cleaned up for Family Fun Days. When Mrs. Castle's husband said the kids would be willing to come up here, well, I just appreciate it so much."

Not only was she impressed with their effort, Triplett said she was pleased with their attitude.

"Nobody has griped. They've all giggled and painted," she said as she watched students swiping stain across the picnic tables. "They're doing a great job."