The downtown merchants are gearing up for the upcoming Fourth of July and the warm summer months by adopting boulevards and planting new shrubbery and trees. The Vacuum Doctor owners, Stan Williamson and Ron Marsden, have adopted the parking lot that they are located on at 111 Fourth Ave. NW. They also are planting flowers on the boulevards on Fourth Avenue.

"We are trying to get other businesses to partake in getting Austin to look better. We approached the Park and Recreation Board to spruce up the area. They were very supportive to us in doing this," Williamson said.

For two weeks this spring, Williamson and Marsden dug up the ground surrounding the trees in the parking lot in front of their business. They hauled in bark for mulch, black dirt and planted flowering bushes. They cut out small trees that were growing in the parking lot so the bushes and remaining taller trees would be enhanced.

"We will be maintaining the boulevards and parking lot all season. Ron waters the bushes and flowers," Williamson said.

The Vacuum Doctor wants to challenge other businesses to adopt boulevards and parking lots in downtown Austin to make it a more pleasing and beautiful place. The two said it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to make the downtown area look nice. They have had comments from surrounding business owners on the great work they have done to make the downtown area look nice.

Besides sprucing up the downtown area, the Vacuum Doctor donates vacuum cleaners to the Red Cross and The Salvation Army. Each person that receives a donated vacuum cleaner also receives a certificate for a free vacuum tune up at the Vacuum Doctor.

"We are taking six vacuum cleaners to The Salvation Army today. We include the bag for the dirt and an extra belt. This is our second year doing this. I decided to do this on my own. I just thought it was something the community needed," Williamson said.