Arbor Day in Catasauqua

The participants in the Arbor Day Program

Catasauqua has been named a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation.  It is the 15th year Catasauqua has received this national recognition.

The Tree City USA Program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

It originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska by J. Sterling Morton, who was originally from Michigan and when he moved to Nebraska, missed the trees very much.  The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872, and an estimated one million trees were planted that day.

The families of the honored

I went to the ceremony today mainly to honor the memory of Miriam Laudenslager.  An October Glory Maple was being dedicated in honor of her service to her church and community.  Bob Bastian along with many others did a wonderful ceremony, it was informative and heart warming. There was a proclamation read by  the Mayor and a State Proclamation brought by State Representative, Joseph Brennan.  I didn't get the name of the young gentleman from the Forest Service, but he was a delight.  Those who were honored, besides Miriam where Glen Stine and Frederick T. Muehlberger.    There was a pretty good turn out, which was wonderful to see.  Refreshments provided by the Mayor were delicious, I grabbed a cookie before leaving.

But, there was something missing today, besides Miriam.  That was a scarf, Miriam almost always had a scarf on.  I did a quick run home and dropped one off to Karen, Miriam's daughter.  As I drove away, I saw the bow around Miriam's tree and thought, yup a tree that Miriam would be proud of.

I leave you with this quote from J. Sterling Morton, "The cultivation of flowers and trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful, and the ennobling in man, and for one, I wish to see the culture become universal" and that's another day in Catasauqua.