February 2008 ARCHIVES: Gloucester City Tree & Beautification Committee Receives State Recognition
Friday, December 30, 2016
PUBLISHED Tuesday, February 05, 2008/press release
The Gloucester City Tree and Beautification Committee presented a state award to City Council during last week's meeting.
The award had been received during the 15th annual Green Community Achievement Awards Presentation in Cherry Hill October 27. It was part of the 82nd annual Tree Federation Meeting sponsored by the NJ Tree Foundation.
The Gloucester City Tree and Beautification Committee was the only one in the state to receive this award, under the "Civic Association Category."
The Committee is a volunteer-based group of residents advocating for community trees, and the group works cooperatively with City officials, the Public Works Department, and the residents to improve community safety, enhance neighborhoods through the planting of trees, and educating people about the benefits of their community forestry resources.
Gloucester City became a partner in the Foundation's Ten Cities Initiative in the spring 2005, by which City government established the tree committee, cooperatively adopted a five-year Community Forestry Plan, (approved by previous and current Mayor and Council), and hosted community tree planting events.
In two years, the NJ Tree Foundation and the Committee were able to work with hundreds of volunteers, plant more than 100 new shade trees, and provided a $25,000 match in donated items and labor to successfully complete the Initiative's requirements.
The initial contact was made in 2005, when Shannon Buckley of the Foundation made contact with the Public Works Supervisor Bowie Johnson and the Community Development Office Project Coordinator Eric Fetterolf. They met with Paul Kain, Clerk/Ad-ministrator, and Gina Dunphy, UEZ Coordinator.
Afterwards, Mayor and Council and recommended that the City proceed with developing the five-year Community Forestry Management Plan (CFMP).
Fetterolf contacted Mic-key Riggins, certified tree expert, who was already familiar with Gloucester City and its efforts.
Back in 1999, Riggins and Fetterolf worked together in the "Gloucester Green" program where a number of trees were purchased and planted on public lands (Proprietor's Park, Martins Lake, and the Fort Nassau/Jogging Track).
An additional 32 trees were purchased, delivered and planted by residents in their yards with additional being started by the Water Works Department.
The CFMP was approved by the state in April 2007.
The Tree and Beautification Committee was form-ed and initial active participants included members from the community, the City government and school officials. The people who had initial input on the CFMP and various tree events included residents Karen McKinney, Kate Sheridan, Dot Evans, Marylou Furfari, Kathy Brandt, and Carol Mahan, Cathy George, Joan Chal-mers, Maureen Knipp, Linda Lord, Louisa Llewellyn, Tom Gurick, Alison Maloney, Meghan O'-Connor, Dorothy Stanitis, Charles Kain, James "Bow-ie" Johnson, Fred Schin-dler, Paul Kain, Gina Dunphy and Thomas Kilcourse.
Later, more people came to the meetings to help, including Frank Wunsch, Tisa Batchelor, Christie Cooper, Dave Stallwood, Susan Hathcock, and Patrick Keating.
In January 2006, the committee selected Chairperson Frank Wunsch, Vice Chairperson Marylou Furfari, Treasurer Dot Evans, PR/Marketing Tisa Batchelor and Acting Secretary Eric Fetterolf.
In January 2007, the committee selected Chairperson Tisa Batchelor, Vice Chairperson Marylou Furfari, Treasurer Karen McKinney, PR/Marketing Susan Hathcock and Acting Secretary Eric Fetterolf. Other members include residents Adrienne Scheick, Dori Wakso, Kathy Hauckes, Mike Sheridan, Bruce Marks, Jesse and Harriet Torres, and John Schmidt.
The Committee currently has six members who completed the initial NJ Department of Forestry and Shade Tree Federation Core Training: Eric Fetterolf, Dot Evans, Frank Wuncsh, Marylou Fufari, Adrienne Scheick and Kat-hy Hauckes. Three Public Works employees, Dylan Moore, Alex Tedesco and William Rusk, also completed the initial training.
Committee member Ad-rienne Scheick and Gabe Parent (representing City Engineer Remington & Vernick) are working on completing a Tree Inventory for the City of all street trees. Tisa Batchelor, and others are putting together a plan for an Arboretum at Proprietor's Park.
Karen McKinney and others are planning a workshop in the Spring. Adrienne is also putting together a brochure and a list of optimum tree specials.
The Committee, planted some beautiful mums at the Lady Statue at the Proprietor's Park. The flowers came from the Gloucester City Water Works Plant.
The committee is also raising funds for the restoration of the iron lady and received their first $51.00 in donations during a recent park festival.
The Committee worked with the local Cub and Boy Scouts in remulching trees at Proprietor's Park and planting trees in various parts of the City. Unfortunately, in May 2007, vandals broke branches and damaged some of the new trees on Nicholson Road and most of the new trees on Broadway. The committee is offering a $100 reward for information that will lead to an arrest of an individual(s) that damaged those trees.
One recent accomplishment was that members judged decorations provided by organizations for the 12 spruce trees near the Municipal Complex during the holiday festival. The Committee has made recommendations for hanging baskets, more benches, and black wrought-iron fencing for the Broadway and Monmouth area.
Finally, at last week's Council meeting, the committee presented a letter to Mayor and Council asking the city to contact PSEG and their subcontractor(s) to temporarily cease pruning trees by the utility wires in the city until the city and committee can meet with PSEG and/or their subcontractor to go over the pruning techniques and standards that are supposed to be used.
There is a real need for additional volunteers to serve on the Committee.
Those with a green thumb, or who enjoy beautifying the City, contact Eric Fetterolf at 456-7105 or [email protected]. information can be viewed on the city website, www.cityofgloucester.org.
The committee meets the second Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at 313 Monmouth St. The next meeting is February 14.