Spruce Up Austin Inc.

Friday, August 11, 2000

Spruce Up Austin Inc. is planning a large-scale spruce tree-planting project for the fall.

The organization met this morning at Town Center and unanimously approved the project.

A total of 60 trees will be planted in various parks throughout the city.

The project came about after an inspection of the city’s parks by Spruce Up President Mike Ruzek and Tom Graff, the Austin Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department’s parks supervisor.

"Tom Graff and I visited the parks and we noticed an absence of spruce trees and decided something should be done about this," Ruzek told the organization’s members.

Tentative plans call for planting 12 spruce each in Decker and Kauffman parks, 5 in Galloway Park, 12 in Fayette Sherman Park and 19 in Shirley Theel Park.

In the case of the latter, Spruce Up member Bonnie Rietz reminded members of the popularity of soccer and that any trees planted should not interfere with the group activity.

Ruzek agreed and said the trees could be planted around curves along the walking path.

Member Darlene Thaisen also reminded the group that Katie Himanga, the certified arborist retained by the city a year ago, cautioned against planting flood intolerant trees in public areas.

Jim Larson made the motion to approve the project and Craig Hoium seconded it. With the unanimous approval of the organization, the project will be undertaken sometime in late-September.

According to Ruzek, the group will count on help from many volunteers, including the Austin High School varsity wrestling athletes as well as the Minnesota Sheriff’s Youth Program’s Austin Ranch School youths and others.

The project will be done in concert with the city’s parks employees, who will both mark the tree-planting sites and dig the holes.

Ruzek promised more news about the exact date of the tree-plantings later to allow all citizens who want to be a part of the project to volunteer their services.

Also Thursday, the group’s members discussed the possibility of new "welcome to Austin" signs at strategic entrance points to the city.

The members said they support the idea, which could involve the new signage to be placed at north, south and west entry points to the city.

Already, a welcome sign near East Side Lake Park along Oakland Place East has been hailed as a positive enhancement to the city.

Hoium, who is also Austin’s city planner and zoning administrator, will examine the idea further with Dennis Maschka, the city’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department’s executive director and also a member of Spruce Up Austin.