An Arbor Day in Tree City USA

Paul Clinton

City and community leaders joined hands to plant a tree in an Arbor

Day ceremony.

The group gathered at Perry Park on Arbor Day to plant a California

Sycamore. The event, in its 20th year, was hosted by Women of Action, a

civic group affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce.

“It was a very big event for us,” said Carole Ann Wall, the president

of the group. “It’s just really exciting to drive through the city and

see the trees we have planted.”

Councilman Ralph Bauer and members of the Tree Society of Huntington

Beach also participated. Four classes of third-graders from Perry

Elementary School, which is adjacent to the park, attended the event.

Women of Action Chairwoman Elaine Craft read an original poem about

her love of sycamores at the event.

Huntington Beach is one of about 130 cities in the state that has been

singled out as a “Tree City USA,” an honor roll of tree friendly cities.

The National Arbor Day Foundation, a private nonprofit group, administers

the program.

This year’s Arbor Day celebration also marks the 130th anniversary of

the holiday. Saturday was the centennial of the death of J. Sterling

Morton, who founded the holiday in 1872.