OXFORD – Saturday, April 26, was Arbor Day in Oxford …and, while it was a wet one, excitement was in the air.

Several members of the Village Tree Board arrived at the LaFayette Park pagoda early for the 9 a.m. tree give-away. Awaiting their seedlings in the soaking rain (and standing in mud), dedicated people lined up past the Cole Fountain. Spirits were not dampened on this Arbor Day! 

Members of the Tree Board - president Courtney Emerson, David Branham, Jeanie Petersen, and student, Cole Pecka, handed out 25 of each: Fraser fir, White Birch, Sugar Maple, Eastern Red Bud, Lilac, and Rose of Sharon seedlings. A total of 150 trees and shrubs! 

For this special occasion, the Deputy Mayor Dale B. Leach (filling in for Mayor Stark) announced an Arbor Day Proclamation for the Village of Oxford. In this proclamation, Deputy Mayor Leach said, “I urge all citizens to celebrate Arbor Day and to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands, and Further, I urge all citizens to plant trees to gladden the heart and promote the well-being of this and future generations.” 

Brian Burlew, the NYS DEC Forester from Sherburne, presented the Deputy Mayor with a new Tree City USA flag and a 32nd annual Tree City USA “leaf” for their plaque from the National Arbor Day Foundation. 

In a speech, Forester Burlew said, “Planting just one tree is just about the easiest way to provide a huge benefit for our future generations with very little effort.” and he added, “The luxury of having a dedicated tree board, a responsive DPW team, and a mayor that truly cares about the environment puts Oxford ahead of others. We can all help our future generations by planting just one tree, and I trust that Oxford will do just that.”