SeDoMoCha School helps Dover-Foxcroft become a ‘Tree City’

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Recently the town of Dover-Foxcroft earned Tree City USA Community status. The designation was bestowed in part due to Dover-Foxcroft’s activities to promote Arbor Day, which included the planting of a tree behind the SeDoMoCha School.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    TREE CITY SCHOOL — The SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft was recognized for its part in helping the town earn Tree City USA Community status, as in late October students from both the elementary and middle schools planted a sugar maple behind the building. Dover-Foxcroft Town Manager Jack Clukey, pictured with the students who took part in the fall planting and Principal Julie Kimball, made a presentation to the pupils on May 24 and showed them one of the Tree City signs that will be placed around the community.

    On the afternoon of May 24 Town Manager Jack Clukey visited the school to inform a group of students involved in the tree planting of the honor and show one of several signs which will be displayed around the community reading, “Tree City USA Arbor Day Foundation.”
    “Does everyone remember when we planted a tree last fall?,” Clukey asked the several dozen students, representing pre-K through grade 8, gathered in the main lobby. The response was a “yes” as in late October an anonymously donated then 7-foot tall sugar maple was put into the ground behind the building, with representatives from each homeroom taking part.
    “Does anyone know what week this is?,” Clukey asked. “This whole week is Maine Arbor Week, this is usually when towns plant trees and most communities recognize Arbor Day.
    “One of the things we did was come over here and you celebrated with us,” Clukey said. He explained in 2012 Dover-Foxcroft was late by recognizing Arbor Day in the fall instead of the spring, but this year the town’s celebration matches the proper date on the calendar.
    “We planted a lot of trees and we have a river walk now over on Vaughn Street,” Clukey said about some of the other ways Dover-Foxcroft earned the Tree City USA Community designation. He said the town also has a forestry committee and an inventory of trees throughout town to help oversee the community green spaces.
    “All of those things we have done in the past year or two allowed us to become a Tree City,” Clukey said. “I want to thank everyone for celebrating Arbor Day with us. I hope we can check that tree in the fall and make sure it’s healthy.”
    The students taking part in the tree planting in October were pre-K, Noa Clark and Brayden Willis; kindergarten, Emily Harmon-Weeks, Cameron Pratt, Wiott Seavey and Jordan Thompson; grade 1, Jackson Day, Zachary Peirce, Logan Walton and Peyton Wellman; grade 2, Olivia Berce, Justin Bessey, Seth Finnemore and Cameron Skomars; grade 3, Madison Andrade-Swan, Anastasia Peirce and Dahlia Sharrow; grade 4, Gabe Fillmore, Luke Greenlaw and Arwen Morse; grade 5, Adam Dulac, Sam Harmon-Weeks and Olivia Wesley; grade 6, Rebecca Bessey, Alexis London and Nathan Skomars; grade 7, Gaven Cook, Ryan Laffin, Shyler Lewis and Josh Reed; and grade 8, Kourtnee Haley, Isaac Long, Jacob Redmond and Dominique Rowell.