NE Iowa City’s Residents Beautifying with Flowers

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A group of residents is working to keep flowers in bloom along a Dubuque parkway after a hiring freeze forced city workers to stop handling planting and maintenance duties.

The residents have launched an online fundraising campaign in an effort to raise $27,000 to hire a landscaper to replant 45 flowerbeds.

Individuals and businesses interested in sponsoring or "adopting" a flower bed can make tax-exempt donations through the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. Volunteers and garden clubs also are being sought to care for the perennials once they are planted along Grandview Avenue.

Nearly $183,000 is expected to be saved in freezing several positions in the Leisure Services Department charged with the care and maintenance of landscapes across Dubuque.