Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
City officials observed Florida Arbor Day 2022 by planting three crepe myrtle trees along the front fence at Oakfield Cemetery on the Waukeenah Highway on Friday morning, Jan. 21. Vice Mayor Gloria Cox, City Council Member John Jones, City Clerk Emily Anderson, City Manager Seth Lawless, Street Superintendent Enrico Watkins, and Deputy Clerk Sarah Millett participated in the ceremony, which was conducted as part of the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA Program.
Monticello has been a Tree City for 34 years and spends anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 a year on just trees and tree maintenance, according to Anderson.
Cox began the ceremony, saying, “For this awesome occasion, Arbor Day, we are doing what we do best and we look to enhance our beautiful cemetery. We honor all our officials that are gathered here.”
Watkins and Cox held a Tree City USA banner, Jones and Lawless held signs recognizing Monticello's 34 years of participation, and Anderson read the proclamation:
“Whereas Arbor Day is symbolic of the early conservation movement and has been observed in the United States in various ways for over 100 years, and
“Whereas the citizens of Monticello have shown an increased interest in planting trees because of the tremendous role that such trees play in furthering and improving the environment; and
“Whereas trees are responsible for producing oxygen, for controlling floods and providing wildlife habitat; and
“Whereas the City of Monticello takes great pride in its variety and number of trees and concern that Arbor Day be commemorated by the planting of trees.
“Now therefore I, the Mayor of Monticello, do hereby proclaim January, 21, 2022, as Arbor Day in the City of Monticello, with the sincere conviction that enhancement of the beauty of the city's landscape by the planting of trees furnishes not only an economic value but also human value that is priceless and benefits all.”
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