Mayor Bill Haslam marked a $5,000 donation to the City of Knoxville's tree planting efforts by Prestige Cleaners president and Dogwood Arts Festival co-chairman Eddie Mannis with the planting of a Dogwood tree at the East Tennessee History Center.
The donation results from a recycling campaign launched by Prestige Cleaners, in which the company donated 5 cents for every hanger turned in to one of its stores during the month of December to the City to plant trees. "This campaign helped the City of Knoxville in two ways - by keeping hangers out of the waste stream and raising private funds to plant trees that make our City an even more attractive place to live, work and raise a family," Mayor Haslam said. Mannis noted, "One of the best things about the Dogwood Arts Festival are the gorgeous Dogwood trails. It's important that we continue to plant Dogwood trees to ensure that generations to come will be able to enjoy the trails." The ceremony also served to remind Knoxville residents that cold and wet January is a good time to plant trees because there's time for roots to get well established in the soil.
Trees planted in the fall and winter need less water in the summer because they are less stressed. This year the City of Knoxville has planted nearly 400 trees along streets and in parks. More than 100 white and pink dogwood trees have been planted; other species include Redbud, Tulip Poplar, Southern Magnolia, and Red, Sugar and Trident Maple. Prestige Cleaners opened in 1985 with one store and three employees is a 160-employee Knoxville company operating a dry cleaning plant and eight locations.
City of Knoxville 2005-2006 Tree Planting Program By the Numbers:
Cost: $39,584
Number of trees: 386
Number of Dogwood trees: 115 (Both pink and white)
Other varieties planted: Red Maple, Trident Maple, Redbud, Zelkova, Weeping Willow, Tulip Poplar, Sugar Maple, London Plane, White Pine
Locations: Streets: Fairmont Blvd., Cecil Avenue, North Hills Blvd., Schaad Road, Bragg Street, Spicewood Lane, Kenbook Lane, Emoriland Ave., Asheville Highway, Woodbine Ave., Jefferson Ave., Martin Luther King Blvd., Pellissippi Parkway, Cherokee Blvd., Gleason Road, Century Court, Bearden area, Clinch Ave., James White Parkway, Chapman Highway
Parks: Adair Park Pond, Riverside Bike Trail, West Hills Park, Mary James Park