Sweet Home committee finalizes plans, volunteer needs for Arbor Day; Pacific Power to attend

Wally Shreeves, chair of the Sweet Home Park and Tree Committee, outlined final plans for the committee’s Arbor Day activities and asked members to clear May 13 for planting and related tasks. "Pacific Power has agreed to participate in our Arbor Day event," Shreeves said, adding the utility will speak about downed trees, downed power lines and what to plant under power lines.

The committee agreed to start work at 11 a.m. in the park to remove ivy from trees on a hillside, then move to booth and event setup. "We'll start off at 11 in the morning in the park removing some of the ivy," Shreeves said, estimating the initial cleanup should take "45 minutes at the most." Members said last year setup began about noon to prepare for a 2 p.m. kickoff, and planned to follow a similar timeline this year.

Committee staff member Angela (staff) said flyers and meeting minutes would be uploaded to the city council packet and distributed via social media; volunteers were asked to pick up printed flyers and help post them downtown. Several members volunteered to bring hot dogs, buns and refreshments; the committee named Costco as a likely source for food and a member agreed to pick up supplies. The beautification committee will share table space and a planned table at the Arbor Day event.

The group discussed logistics for games and supplies — tic-tac-toe, a parachute, frisbees, serving trays and coolers — and decided to check storage totes and the shed for existing equipment before buying replacements. Members agreed to a round-robin email list of assigned supplies and tasks and to post flyers at businesses and schools. Nancy Patton and others volunteered to coordinate distribution, and Amber and Angela will handle final printing and logistics.

The committee reviewed safety and weather concerns; members noted windy conditions and a chance of light showers and planned to bring weights and covers for pop-up tents. Pacific Power will bring its own tent and materials, the committee said.

The meeting closed with a reminder to meet at Sankey Park on the Arbor Day date: members should arrive a few minutes early, bring gloves and tools, and be prepared to remove ivy and stage the committee table. "If you get there a few minutes early, that's totally okay. We'll go pull some ivy, so bring your gloves and tools," Shreeves said.