Rail firm CN gives group $25K for trees
Butler is looking to add a little more green to its streets.
The Butler Shade Tree Commission on Monday received a $25,000 grant from CN, which is commonly referred to by its former name, the Canadian National Railway. The money will be used for trees.
CN owns the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad that runs through Butler. It provides grants to enhance the environment to many communities in North America that its trains run through.
“We can use the grant to revitalize our parks, playgrounds, and neighborhood streets,” said Julie Dandoy, chairman of the commission.
Dandoy said the grant will allow the commission to buy and plant more mature trees than normal, which should help them survive.
“The larger trees can be much more successful for us to maintain,” she said, adding they are not as easily damaged as saplings.
Kevin Soucie, director of government affairs for CN, presented the check to the city. Soucie said CN works to maintain solid relationships with communities.
“We want to contribute to the communities we operate in,” he said. “Our company is very big on sustainability.” One of the goals of the grant program is to help communities in need.
“Communities come to us after suffering tree loss due to winds or tornadoes,” Soucie said. “We also work with communities that don't have the resources available for trees.”
The grant came at a much needed time for the city. Dandoy said last winter was hard on the city's freshly planted trees.
“Last winter was a cold winter,” she said. “We planted trees outside the library last fall, and they just didn't make it.”Dandoy said the commission has big plans for the grant. “Fall and spring are great times to plant,” she said.“We already have a tentative project for this fall.” Dandoy said that project would add trees in the area around the junior high school. She also indicated that many trees along Main Street need replaced.Dandoy said she wasn't sure how many trees the grant would fund, but estimated some could cost about $1,000.Chelynne Curci, the Main Street manager for Butler Downtown, said trees are vital to a successful city.“Shade trees are incredibly important to a downtown community,” she said. “The feeling of comfort they bring makes a community more inviting.”Dandoy said the commission plants different trees in the city, but added some species are better suited for city living.“Certain types do better in street environments,” she said. “They have to be resilient to pollution.”Dandoy, who has been a member of the commission since 2002, said the grant is the second-largest received since then. In 2006 the group received a $115,000 grant. Most of its funding comes through smaller, local grants and private donations.For comparison, Dandoy said the largest grant the commission had previously received this year was $1,500 from the Butler Garden Club.Mayor Tom Donaldson is thrilled the city received the CN grant.“I'm overwhelmed that someone from outside the community would donate this much money,” Donaldson said. The mayor said the commission is an important part of downtown.“They're one of the boards where the people get dirty,” he said, referencing the need for constant work and maintenance on the trees. “People don't realize all this board does.”The members of the commission are Chip Maura, Jonathan Lex, Dirk Matonak, Lorrie Downey, Diane Christie and Dandoy. There is one open seat on the seven-member commission.Anyone interested in serving can contact the mayor's office.
