A major tree-planting project will take place next Thursday.

Friday, June 29, 2001

A major tree-planting project will take place next Thursday.

Spruce Up Austin Inc. will plant 20 trees along Main Street South beginning at the intersection of Ninth Place SW.

Volunteers are needed.

The tree planting will begin at 6:30 p.m., according to Mike Ruzek, special projects coordinator for Spruce Up Austin.

"We think it’s a great location to begin planting trees, because it is part of the city’s new expanded park system and near the new Veterans Pavilion and the bandshell in Austin Community Park," Ruzek said.

Volunteers are asked to wear gloves and bring shovels and rakes as well as wheelbarrows.

The holes for the trees already will be dug by Austin Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department employees.

Money for the 20 trees comes from the Hormel Foods Corp.’s donation to the city, Austin Utilities and Austin Parks, Recreation and Forestry.

In the case of the Hormel Foods’ share of the expenses, that money comes from the corporation’s third $25,000 installment to the city to help Austin recover from the loss of trees in the June 1998 windstorm.

According to Ruzek, the tree planting also is an opportunity for those Austinites and visitors to the SPAMTOWN USA Festival to share in a community betterment project.