Published Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Sharpsburg holds first Arbor Day celebration

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Newnan Times-Herald

The town of Sharpsburg recently held its first Arbor Day celebration.

The Arbor Day ceremony, held Dec. 11, was the final step in the process of Sharpsburg being designated a Tree City USA.

The main event was the planting of four trees in the old town area.

One of the most important features of being designated a tree city is the ability to apply for grants for community forestry projects, said Councilwoman Polly Garlington, a former chairwoman of the Sharpsburg Tree Board.

The program opened with Hannah Neal, Emma Neal and Alina Strickland leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

Next was a sideshow featuring historic homes and buildings in old town Sharpsburg.

Cindy Neal, current chairwoman of the tree board, read the Arbor Day proclamation. Garlington gave an update on the certification process, and recognized board members Cindy Neal, Gwen Lyons, Herb Bridges, and Wilmirth Wood for their contributions to the Tree City project.

The tree planting followed the ceremony. Assisting were Beryl Budd, community forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission, Chief Ranger Terry Quigley, District Forester Jeff Sibley, and Roy Matthews, Coweta County arborist.

To qualify as a Tree City, a town must have a tree and landscape ordinance, a tree board that holds a designated number of meetings, and a designated item in the town budget for the care, maintenance, and planting of trees, and it must hold an Arbor Day ceremony with a program and tree planting.

Once certified, Sharpsburg will receive Tree City road signs, a flag to display at town hall, and a plaque stating Tree City status.