It’s spring, and again time to plant trees in Grantsville. The mayor and city council have once again approved funds to support the planting of Street Trees to “bring back the beauty of Grantsville’s past.” Grantsville has qualified to be a “Tree City USA” since 2003. The deadline for this year’s tree orders, to buy one and get one free, is April 10. Applications are now available at city hall.

Volunteer hours, from the mayor to elementary school students, are the reason the annual tree planting program in Grantsville has been so successful. Over a thousand large trees have been planted during the past few years, and there is probably at least an hour of volunteer time for each tree.

Gary Fawson said, “We owe a big thank you to so many for all the volunteer help the city gets each year as tree planting time arrives.”

Gary and his wife Janet have volunteered to organize and help distribute the trees for the past six years.

Besides the hours of volunteer efforts by Tree Board members, many others have pitched in to help. One of the biggest efforts is by Jeff Goodsell and his wife, Dominique. Each year they put countless hours into organizing the tree essay and poster contests at the elementary schools. Hundreds of kids participate, and teachers volunteer to help. The teachers and the Goodsells read all the essays and pick out the best for the city’s annual Arbor Day program. The Goodsells also organize the Arbor Day activities. Dozens of parents have supported their kids and participate in the Arbor Day presentations at the park or city hall, then go home and help the kids plant their awards — trees.

Members of the high school FFA are always at city hall the morning the trees are delivered. They not only help unload the large trees, which means a lot of heavy lifting, but some have even volunteered to use their own vehicles to deliver the trees to their neighbors.

The folks from the Wal-Mart Distribution Center have been there each year to help, also. They unload the trees from the large nursery truck, and then help reload the trees onto neighbors’ trucks or trailers. One year, the Wal-Mart crew all pitched in to help Rebecca Peterson and her daughter, Makenna, relandscape the grounds in front of city hall.

Hundreds of residents have planted trees to beautify their neighborhoods. As these trees continue to grow each year, it will only make Grantsville a more beautiful place to call home. This year, “Make Grantsville Fine in 2009... Plant a Tree!” Especially if you can get one free for your street.