Just Call Monroe 'Tree City USA'

A small group gathered near the Monroe Senior Center entrance on a sunny Friday morning to take part in the planting of a dogwood in celebration of Arbor Day. The event was organized by the Monroe Land Trust & Tree Conservancy and led by David Solek, the town's park ranger and tree warden.

The flowering dogwood is dedicated to all of Monroe's residents, as well as to the victims and families of the Boston Marathon bombing, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. in Texas, according to Solek.

The tree was donated by Keith Bunovsky of TLC Wholesale Nursery in Monroe and the site was prepared for planting by Mike Amoroso.

First Selectman Steve Vavrek and Town Council Vice Chairwoman Deborah Heim were among the small crowd that gathered on the center's grounds Friday and Elizabeth Mezick, 101, a bingo enthusiast at the center and resident of 42 years, was a special guest.

Senior Center and Social Services Dir. Barbara Yeager, who welcomed Solek to plant the tree there, was also on hand.

Following the tree planting, a green and white Tree City USA flag was hoisted up on the pole in front of the center, just beneath the Stars 'N Stripes.

Solek said Monroe is one of only 19 of Connecticut's 169 communities with the Tree City USA designation, adding this is the ninth consecutive year Monroe has held the status.

The criteria to be Tree City USA is having an Arbor Day celebration, a tree warden, a tree management program and a budget for tree planting and maintenance, according to Solek.

Planting in the Right Place

Monroe's most serious power outages occur when trees fall onto wires during a storm, and Solek said the Monroe Land Trust & Tree Conservancy is trying to get residents to plant the right kinds of trees in the right places.

The senior center's dogwood, which will grow up to 25 feet high, is about 30 feet from the road, Solek said, adding, "This will not go into the wires."

He said the tree is also planted far enough away from the stonewall in the front of the property to leave ample room to mow around it without hitting and damaging the roots.

Trees provide numerous benefits. According to Solek, some include scenic beauty, shade and cover, oxygen, air purity, medicine, lumber and higher property values.