The city of Pineville held its second annual Arbor Day celebration on Friday at the Pineville Community Center.
Mayor Gregg Sweeten said the town is a 2017 Tree City USA by ordinance of the city council and by recognition of the Arbor Day Foundation. Sweeten gave a history of Arbor Day. He thanked the city council and the tree board, which is responsible for ordinances regarding trees.
"Trees make oxygen. They are something we have to have," he said to a group of Pineville elementary students gathered at the event. "We do care for the environment. That's why we're doing this, so that when you grow up ... you'll still have trees."
Sweeten presented the Arbor Day Certificate to Ann Crowder-Sanders. He said she is "a strong member of the city council and the representative from city council to the tree board."
He added, "She really cares a lot about our city, and it shows because she participates in so much."
Sweeten introduced John Skinner of the Missouri Department of Conservation, who helped Pineville become a Tree City USA.
Skinner said, "We need to be thinking about where did these trees come from? Some were planted through natural processes, some by people."
He said he was about to plant a short-leaf pine tree. When preparing to plant a tree, it is important to look up for electrical wires and look underground for utilities, he said.
Skinner said Pineville started two years ago working on becoming a Tree City USA. The city developed an ordinance and a tree care plan and, for every person in town, the city spent $6 caring for trees. He congratulated the city and presented a Tree City USA plaque.
Skinner planted a serviceberry tree and a short-leaf pine tree, the latter in memory of Ricky Cleaver. A rock with a plaque on it was placed in front of the short-leaf pine.
Following the tree planting, the city gave away spruce trees and hot dogs.
General News on 05/03/2018