Franklin Lakes Scouts Plant Tree For Troop Killed By DWI Driver

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J.– Four local Girl Scouts were recently recognized by the Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce for planting a tree to honor members of a troop killed in a Wisconsin hit-and-run last year.

The scouts from Cadette Troop No. 96353 – Sofia Stella, Aysha Shetov, Sophia Underfer and Ana Dandeneau – planted a sugar maple tree in Flagpole Park in memory of three Girl Scouts and a troop leader killed by an intoxicated driver in November 2018 as they cleared trash along a Wisconsin highway.

The local scouts, all 8thgraders at Franklin Lakes Middle School, “have a heart like many people and they wanted to memorialize that event,” Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce President John Morley said.

“Now that this tree is here, the girls will know every time they pass it to be grateful for their lives and for the girls from Wisconsin.”

Morley gave each of the girls a plaque on Nov. 5 at the tree planting event, honoring them for their Silver Award project.

The tree, which was donated by Stone House Nursery in Wyckoff, was also planted to add a new and healthy tree to the area since many trees throughout Franklin Lakes have died from viruses and infestation from various insects.

“Every year we keep losing many different types of trees and we have to start replacing them,” said Troop No. 96353 Leader Marivel Stella. “The tree the girls planted will last for years to come.”

A formal dedication of the sugar maple tree is scheduled to take place in March 2020.

The sugar maple is the first of several trees that will be planted in Flagpole Park to replace dead and diseased trees in Franklin Lakes, as part of the community’s forestry management plan.

“We’re looking to enhance the forest canopy,” said Franklin Lakes Tree Specialist Kris Hasbrouck. “Franklin Lakes is a forested community.”