Archive: Around Town

With most of the trees the of the same kind and age, Park Superintendent Steve Colt is concerned that one natural disaster could mean no trees in Lansing's parks and fields.  That is why the Town has instituted a policy of planing new trees every year.  "I've had several experts come into Myers Park," says Colt.  One of the concerns is the aging canopy in Myers Park, coupled with the obvious storm damage we've had over the past five to six years.  Most of the trees are cottonwoods.  They are all roughly the same age.  Every year or so a nasty storm rolls through and does significant damage."


Individuals are also helping put new trees into the parks.  " I am excited about the opportunity for people to designate memorial trees in the parks," Colt says.  "We make the suggestion of planting a tree and they love the idea.  It memorializes their lost family member and it helps refoliate the park."  Colt says that people are starting to plant memorial trees, but that he would like more people to know it is an option.
"We're trying to proactively stay on top of that with our planting program," he says.  "We try to budget for a couple of trees per year, but now we're strongly encouraging people to plant a living memorial.  Even groups and families where no one has passed away are making donations of trees."  This year a Girl Scout troupe is donating a tree with a plaque saying where it came from.  "They take ownership of it and can watch it grow over the years," Colt says.  "Hopefully they'll get satisfaction from it as it grows."  He says he hopes more scouting troupes will choose to plant trees.

Some memorial trees have been planted.  Most have plaques flush mounted in the ground so they are visible to the public, but do not interfere with mowing.  Colt says a tree costs between $50 and $150.  Pines start at  about six feet high.  Non-pine trees might be 10 to 12 feet tall when they are planted.

The Keeney memorial is in Myers Park with a tree and a small commemorative plaque.

Norm Stanton, a long time Lansing resident and one of thedesigners of the ball field complex, passed away last year.  His sons e-mailed Colt to direct memorial funds into an account to be used to commemorate him.  Once the funds were raised the sons decided to use the funds toward plantings.  Because their Dad had done so much work on the ball fields it seemed logical  to plant there.  

They decided that pine trees that would provide color in the winter and act as a shade and a wind block.  Over a dozen trees were purchased at Moore's Tree Farm.   They were planted last Fall.  The trees follow the outside of the fence on Christopher Field to the west side of the basketball field.


This year a plaque commemorating Stanton will be mounted flush to the ground.  "That's a perfect example of the things that could be done," says Colt.  "Any of the Town parks that we control, we want to give families as many options as we can.  We'll suggest two or three locations that we would recommend and let the family have the final say.

Trees aren't the only memorials residents have donated.  Bushes and plantings, benches and athletic equipment are dotted around the parks and fields.  Some of the memorials remember Lansing children who died tragically.  "I think of Paula Daniels," says Colt.  "The big marquis sign on the ball fields was a memorial to Paula.  Several of the player benches that are located at the baseball and softball fields -- unfortunately too many are memorials to kids that have passed away by accident or illness."

Colt has contributed to a memorial himself.  His long time assistant Beverly French passed away and he, her family and the Parks Department donated to create a planting behind the center field fence on Christopher Field behind the new Town Hall.  It includes a tree, some fire bushes encircling the tree and overlooking the lower ball fields a granite bench with an inscription.