Johnstown man uses second hand lawn mower to clear city's vacant, overgrown lots

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WJAC) — A 52-year-old man and his push mower are paving a way through Johnstown.

He's tackling vacant lots throughout the city that are overgrown with weeds and grass.

On a weekly basis, Ed Davis and his lawnmower tackle thick overgrown grass that any mower would have trouble with.

But that doesn't stop Davis.

He's determined to make his hometown as beautiful as it was during his childhood one lot at a time.

"Memories, that’s what it’s all about,” explained Davis. “Making Johnstown what it used to be. I mean I love Johnstown I was born here; I’m going to die here. Why not?"

Davis bought this preowned lawn mower about two years ago.

It still does the job even with duct tape holding it together in some areas.

Davis doesn't get a paycheck for the work. And he rarely takes a sick day. Unless he's ordered to rest.

"The 17th of June, I had a stroke on my birthday from being out in this heat,” Davis said. “And I can’t talk very good, but I’m still going to do it until I can’t do it anymore."

His good friend Renee Yoder is usually by his side. A personal assistant of sorts, she gets him cold drinks and helps load his equipment.

"He's the type that he doesn’t let anything get him down and when he had that stroke and he had to take a couple days off, he was beside himself, he didn’t know what to do,” Yoder said. “He wanted to give up and I told him I said no don’t give up hon, I said you got me.”

After a four-day break, Davis was back at it. This week, he tackled a mess in the city's West End.

He always has an eye out for lots in desperate need of a makeover.

"I hold a standard, I mean if anyone says they live in Johnstown and don’t take care of Johnstown, then leave Johnstown. It's that simple," Davis said.

The “before and afters” of Davis’ work are posted on Facebook group pages. They’re the same pages people share ideas of where more needs to be done.

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