Mayor Foster Senn and City of Newberry staff visited Boundary Street Elementary and the Newberry Fire Department on Friday for their annual Arbor Day tree planting. Arbor Day marks the beginning of tree planting season.

Climate determines when this is in any given area and South Carolina’s planting season begins in December and ends in March. In other states, Arbor Day is celebrated in April.

The city typically rotates each year to a different city elementary school to hold the planting ceremony. The school then receives a tree of their choosing to plant on school grounds. This year, Boundary chose a Fringe tree that was planted near the entrance of the school.

Senn shared a little history on the Arbor Day holiday along with Dena Whitesides, with the South Carolina Forestry Commission who shared the importance of trees to a community. Whitesides is also a member of the city’s tree board as a part of their Tree City USA designation.

Senn said some of his favorite trees were in downtown Newberry near the Newberry Opera House and that they were able to be enjoyed because someone took the initiative to plant them many years ago.

This year, an additional tree was also planted at the Newberry Fire Department in memory of former retired Captain Bobby “Stump” Rowe.

Rowe was remembered as a Christmas person, former Chief Lewis Lee said at the ceremony. Having passed away in 2001, Lee said Rowe always encouraged the department to decorate for the holidays, including the large tree that sat beside Station 21 on Wilson Road.

After the tree he decorated annually had to be cut down, Lee had a tree planted in its place to memorialize Rowe. The tree later became overgrown and was cut. However, it was replaced Friday and will be decorated to continue in Rowe’s memory.

The fire department chose to plant an Emerald Green Giant and decorate it for the holiday season. Fire Chief Gene Shealy said the tree should keep shape and grow well within the area provide.

“The fire service is rich in history and remembering those who came before us,” Shealy said.

Shealy said he was happy the tree had been planted and that future generations would know the history of Rowe’s Christmas spirit.

“We can’t know where we’re going unless we know where we came from,” he said.