newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/0507/front_page/019.htmlVery good read....
Tree planting a fitting honor for late resident
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - Members of the Freehold Borough Shade Tree Commission honored one of their own onApril 26 when an 8-foot-tall London plane tree was planted in front of the clock tower onMain Street in memory ofWilliamM.Morrison.
Morrison, 68, died on April 25, 2007. He was a native of Freehold Borough and lived on Bowne Avenue. Morrison was a longtime member of the Shade Tree Commission.
In addition to the tree that was planted in his name, Morrison was honored with a resolution from Mayor Michael Wilson and the Borough Council. The tree-planting ceremony was held in conjunction with other Arbor Day activities in the community.
Morrison's widow, Joann, said her husband would have been "embarrassed, but very grateful" for the honor bestowed upon him.
"He enjoyed going out and meeting residents and talking to people in the town. When I received a phone call presenting the idea to me, I thought it was a wonderful idea. Bill cared very much about Freehold Borough," she said.
According to Councilman George Schnurr, who serves as liaison to the commission, Morrison was instrumental in the borough receiving recognition for the Tree City USA program sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
The Tree City USA program provides "direction, technical assistance, public attention and national recognition for urban and community forest programs."
With Morrison's help, Freehold Borough has continually met the four standards required for a community to receive Tree City USA recognition. In order to meet the requirements a town must have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and anArbor Day observance.
The tree in memory of Morrison was planted by the Shade Tree Commission with assistance from Boy Scout Troop 18, Freehold, according to Schnurr.
Schnurr said Morrison "valued trees for the beauty, grace, comfort and practical blessings they bring." He said trees in the borough "help clean the air, conserve soil and water, and reduce heating and cooling costs by moderating temperatures."
Schnurr said the mayor, council and the Shade Tree Commission honoredMorrison, who "worked hard to ensure a greener, healthier tomorrow for us all."
Morrison worked as a data processing security officer for the Elastic Stop Nut in Union and once semi-retired, he was a self-employed lawn equipment repairman. He also worked as a crossing guard in town.
Schnurr was joined at the tree planting ceremony by Joann Morrison, Councilwoman Sharon Shutzer and Shade Tree Commission members Joseph Haug, Andrea Adams, Gail Benedict and Brooke Sherman.
The following members of Boy Scout Troop 18 were present at the ceremony: Scoutmaster Sandy Resnick, Assistant Scoutmaster Vic Wissler, Eagle Scout Michael Schnurr, and Life Scout Mark Harman. The following Star Scouts were also present: Ted Apostle, John Osborne, Kyle O'Sullivan and Walt Wissler. First Class Scout Justin Eng and Second Class Scout Shawn Forte were also present.
According to Schnurr, after the ceremony concluded, the scouts, under the direction of Haug, pruned trees along Main Street.
"The tree pruning is the start of an ongoing effort to trim back some of the lower growth on the trees that have been planted in the last few years," Schnurr said.
Schnurr said the project will take several months. The borough will be divided into a number of districts and Troop 18 scouts will be guided by members of the commission to the trees in need of pruning.
"The Shade Tree Commission is grateful to the Boy Scouts of Troop 18 for their participation in Freehold Borough's Arbor Day activities in honoring the lateWilliam Morrison and for their assistance in the tree pruning project.Abig part of scouting is service projects like these and Freehold Borough is appreciative of the Boy Scouts' efforts," the councilman said.
