By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
Susan Strating was retired. The operative word here is – was.
“I moved to the Northern Kentucky area two-and-a-half years ago from Crescent City, Nevada. I worked in the human resources profession for over 40 years,” the Colorado State graduate said. “And earned a degree in education and psychology.”
She claims she and her husband are retired. Don’t believe her. She is the Eastside Neighborhood Association Secretary Treasurer.
The Eastside neighborhood is located between the Licking River and Madison Avenue and from 8th to 16th Street.
With more than eighteen churches in the neighborhood, the Eastside values the importance of family and community. The Eastside Neighborhood includes – within its boundaries – the Carnegie Arts Center, the Lincoln Grant Building, which provided a school for African American children before de-segregation, Jacob Price Homes, Gardens of Greenup, Covington Latin School, and the world renowned Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.
“We were recruited by the woman who is now our neighborhood association chair to get involved in forming the East Side Plus Neighborhood Association,” she said.
Melissa Kelly is Chairman of the Association.
That group meets on the second Wednesday – 6 p.m. – at Our Savior Church on East 10th Street, Covington.
And their big event – Buckets and Bins –is set for April 11 at noon in Randolph Park. It’s is being organized by guess who — Susan Strating.
“We applied for a neighborhood grant to make this all possible,” she said. “We asked for $4,000 and received about $3,000.”
The day-long event is quite creative.
“We’re getting recycling bins from the city of Covington,” Strating said, “and with the help of some area Middle School students, we’ll decorate basketball backboards.”
On the backs of those recycling containers.
“The backboards will be mounted on those bins,” she said, “and we’ll have recycling education talks for the kids as well, that day.”
Food and snacks will be provided and the City of Covington and Rumpke Recycling will have speakers to discuss the value of recycling at the free event.
The prospective Middle School students can get forms to participate in the event from ArtMarkit – Covington’s Creative Reuse Hub and Third Space on Holman (1131 Holman Avenue).
Longtime artist and local art teacher Katie Kit Threet founded Artmarkit, which aims to provide a community space where discarded items can be turned into beautiful pieces of art.
As a teacher in Covington Independent Public Schools, Threet said she learned to be resourceful with materials donated to her classroom, often repurposing items that may otherwise be thrown away and thus allowing her students to be more creative.
Artmarkit opened in September, 2024, and runs like a thrift store for art supplies.
Middle school youth can get creative with Eastside Plus, Artmarkit, and the city of Covington to learn about recycling and design custom backboards for recycling bins that will be featured throughout the Eastside Neighborhood in Covington.
The creativity will be on display at Randolph Park on the 11th of April – all you need to do is take your best shot.