The word for the day Thursday was trees, as the City of Greenville hosted the annual Arbor Day celebration. A big crowd of students, parents, city officials and more filled the National Guard Armory hall. Parks and Recreation Director John Cobb noted how large the local observance had grown since the first ceremony at Arnold Park about seven years ago. It is the trees that give us so much pleasure throughout the years and we hardly give thanks to them.
Today is the day.
The occasion also served as a celebration of Greenville being named as a Tree City USA for the sixth year in a row. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. Only about 40 cities in the state have received the honor. Guest speakers for the event included Rev. Mark Vowell with Westview United Methodist Church, who explained how important it is to maintain the city's tree population. It takes work every single year.