The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Residents to celebrate Arbor Day
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 19, 2007
Ypsilanti has been recognized as a Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation for the fourth year in a row.
Advertisement
Bill Bohlen, director of the city's Department of Public Works, said the recognition helps create a positive image for the city, and can help with obtaining grants.
"It does help when you're applying or grants from the DNR.," he said. "They specifically ask on grant applications if you're a tree city."
To mark the occasion, there will be two tree-planting ceremonies in the city on Arbor Day, April 27. Both of the trees being planted are young red oaks.
Students from Chapelle Elementary will help plant an oak tree in Parkridge Park at 9 a.m. The morning ceremony is expected to last an hour.
The second tree planting will be on the same day, but held at 6:30 p.m. at Frog Island. The tree will be planted in the new community garden. The tree-planting will be held as a dedication ceremony for the new garden
The first work day for the Frog Island Community Garden was held earlier this month, with a second planned from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
"We're building fencing right now, that is our priority," said Chris Mueller, an Ypsilanti resident who is helping to organize the project.
The garden, in which anyone from the city can lease out a patch of land, is being constructed on the north end of Frog Island.
Amanda Betzler, another resident helping to organize the garden, said there are plenty of spaces still left for those who want to lease a plot in the garden. She said the annual fee for acquiring a plot is based on a sliding scale, ranging from $10 to $60.
"No one will be turned away," Betzler said.
Funds collected from plot fees will go toward constructing and maintaining the garden's common grounds and fencing. She said everyone who leases a plot would be expected to help with the construction of the garden.
"People who don't know how to garden shouldn't be afraid to come and help," Betzler said.
She said there will be a lot of other work to do while the garden is built and the group will need as much help, tools and material as they can get.
Anyone interested in leasing a plot in the Frog Island Community Garden is asked to call or send an e-mail to Betzler at 1-734-961-6671.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
TOP JOBS
