PROFESSIONALS VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE and PLANT 43 TREES AT DOUGLASS PARK

Local landscaping professionals volunteered their time on Tuesday, December 8th to plant 43 new trees at Douglass Park, a 30 acre facility located on Rt. 4 at the south gateway to Middletown. 

The Douglass Park Revitalization is a collaborative effort organized by Keep Middletown Beautiful, Inc., Lewis Horticulture Services and in partnership with The City of Middletown Public Works Dept.  A complete park assessment was completed in September and efforts are currently underway to remove, revitalize and address the needs of each tree in the park.

Since late October, 2009 80 dead and dying trees have been removed at Douglass to make room for the new diverse species of trees that are scheduled to go into the ground on Tuesday.  Denise Hall, Executive Director of Keep Middletown Beautiful, Inc. stated, “We started this project with a well executed plan thanks to our ties with local professionals such as landscape architect, Jeff Michel, Board President of Keep Middletown Beautiful and Steve Lewis of Lewis Horticulture Services.  We look forward to working with volunteer groups in the spring to finalize the details and improve one of Middletown’s largest parks.  Improving our gateways into Middletown is a crutial part of a well needed makeover and hopefully we can make a good visual impact as people travel into town on verity Parkway as they enter from the south on Rt. 4.”

Fred Wehr, General Manger of Woodside Cemetery and Arboretum donated breakfast and the use of the Cemetery’s Community Room for the volunteers as we held a briefing at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.  Fred Wehr and Steve Lewis discussed the unique soil makeup of the park and gave their recommendations and instuctions on tree planting in the highly porous and well drained soil that is unique to the low lying area at Douglass Park and neighboring acres at Woodside Cemetery and Arboretum.

Following the briefing, professionals teamed up to get the trees planted in a one day planting blitz.  Lunch was provided for the volunteers by Keep Middletown Beautiful, Inc. and served at the Community Center located on Lafayette St. at Douglass Park. 

Volunteer labor and equipment was also provided by Woodside Cemetery Landscaping Crews, Lewis Horticulture Services, Arbor Care Inc. of Middletown, Lakeview Nursery (Fairfield), City Of Middletown – Doris Badin (City Horticulturist) and Dean Gerdeman Head Groundskeeper for Weatherwax Golf Course, Middletown Tree Commission member Jeff McMulllen, Martin Excavating for Heavy Equipement and Operater, Berns Landscape Division, Jeff Michel, President of Keep Middletown Beautiful, Inc.