A walk through a Dayton neighborhood inspired a colorful idea by Mayor Rhine McLin -- why not try to reduce the negative visual impact of vacant homes when boarding them up? The idea led to an agreement with Dayton artist James Pate, who oversaw the project that not only adds artfully painted boards to some vacant homes across the city but will also provide approximately 15 young people (ages 13 to 15) with art instruction and structured activity for a five-week period during the summer. The project was coordinated by the Department of Recreation and Youth Services, and the boards were installed on selected vacant properties by the Department of Building Services.