Village Tree Board, Mayor Shayler, and the fifth grade hold ceremony
Photos and story by Oak Duke
Arbor Day, an annual national holiday to celebrate trees was celebrated in Island Park in Wellsville, Friday April 29, by planting an Autumn Blaze Maple tree and listening to poetry presentations by Wellsville students.
The Wellsville Elementary School Fifth grade attended in full force and planted the young tree with the help of the Wellsville Village Tree Board and the Wellsville Village Public Works Department under sunny blue skies.
Wellsville Mayor Randy Shayler was on hand to speak to the fifth graders and read a proclamation that April 29th is declared as Arbor Day in Wellsville.
Josh Endza recites a poem “Arbor Day” at the annual Arbor Day celebration in Island Park, Friday 
Wellsville tree board president Susan Duke speaks to the Wellsville Elementary School Fifth Graders, April 29 at Island Park about trees at the annual Arbor Day celebration and tree planting. 
Vanessa-Carr-gives-the-introduction-at-the-annual-Wellsville-Arbor-Day-celebration 
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Wellsville Tree Board President Susan Duke helps fifth grade students plant a tree in Island Park in Celebration of Arbor Day as Wellsville Elementary Fifth Grade teacher Rachel Gunzburger, left looks on. 
Josh Endza, Alex Slocum, Alexa Dunbar, Jayden Brownell, and Vanessa Carr recite an Arbor Day Acrostic Poem at the annual Wellsville Arbor Day celebration and tree planting in Island Park. 
_Wellsville Mayor Randy Shayler, left speaking to the Wellsville fifth graders, seated and Wellsville Tree Board President Susan Duke, right at the Arbor Day celebration April 29 at Island Park in Wellsville. 
Josh Endza, Alex Slocum, Alexa Dunbar, Jayden Brownell, and Vanessa Carr recite an Arbor Day Acrostic Poem at the annual Wellsville Arbor Day celebration and tree planting in Island Park. 
Josh Endza, Alex Slocum, Alexa Dunbar, Jayden Brownell, and Vanessa Carr recite an Arbor Day Acrostic Poem at the annual Wellsville Arbor Day celebration and tree planting in Island Park.
Wellsville is an official Tree City USA, under the auspices of the National Arbor Day Foundation. The celebration marks the 31st annual planting and was attended by Wellsville Tree Board President Susan Duke, in her 19th year on the board, and Wellsville Village Supervisor of Public Works Dean Arnold.
Fifth Grade teachers included Rachel Gunzburger, Stephanie Viglietta, Dan Allen, and Heather Brubaker supervised their students in the presentations of numerous poems including an introduction by Vanessa Carr, a poem “Trees, Trees, Trees,” by Ayla Long, and Amelia Childs.
Also read was an Arbor Day Acrostic poem by Josh Endza, Alex Slocum, Alexa Dunbar, Jayden Brownell, and Vanessa Carr; a poem “It’s Cool to Hug a Tree” by Vanessa Carr and Coriana McConnell; “In the Shade of a Tree” by Alex Slocum and Alexa Dunbar; and Arbor Day reading by Josh Endza.
And then with three shovels, the Fifth grade class shared the work and helped pile soil carefully around base of the balled maple tree, set in the ground in the center of Island Park by the Village.
