MAYORS MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough 4/14/2006

"Arbor Day Celebration Scheduled"

The City of Sylvania has again been named a Tree City USA. The notification came recently from the National Arbor Day Foundation, and is the 24^th consecutive year the City of Sylvania has been so honored. As a part of our Tree City USA activities, the City will be hosting an Arbor Day Celebration on Friday, April 28, 2006 on the City Administration Building grounds, 6730 Monroe Street from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. To become a Tree City USA, a community must meet four standards: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance. Sylvania has met these standards for twenty- four years, leading to a better quality of life for all of our residents.

Since 1975, approximately 7,800 street trees have been planted by the City of Sylvania Parks and Forestry Division. City funds are used not only to plant new trees, but also to prune and take care of trees in our parks, public lands and street right-of-ways.

The value to our neighborhoods is far greater than the cost, with a variety of trees blooming throughout the spring, and all growing to provide shade over the years. They make our neighborhoods more beautiful and add to our property values. They also clean the air, produce oxygen, keep our homes cooler and provide a habitat for wildlife. I recommend a tour around our neighborhoods to view all the many street trees in bloom this time of year.

In a city named Sylvania, Arbor Day is certainly an appropriate day to recognize. Each year Sylvania Special Events Coordinator Art Landseadel organizes an Arbor Day program at the City of Sylvania Administration Building. This year a Kentucky Coffee tree, the 2006 urban tree of the year donated by the Sylvania Rotary Club, will be planted. Everyone is invited to assist in the tree planting and enjoy the Arbor Day Celebration on Friday, April 28^th.