Mayor Chris Beutler invited the public to join him, Rousseau Elementary students and the City's Parks and Recreation Department in celebrating Arbor Day 2011.  The public celebration took place at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 28 at the school, 3701 S. 33rd St. 

Mayor Beutler read an Arbor Day proclamation, and the Rousseau students performed songs and recited poems.  Twenty trees were planted at the school and adjoining Bishop Heights Park by students, teachers and volunteers from the Lincoln Electric System (LES) and the Arbor Day Foundation, members of the Community Forestry Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation staff and the department's mascot, Parker Rex.

The ceremony occurred in observance of Arbor Day's 139th anniversary and in recognition of the Re Tree Nebraska program, a campaign to plant one million trees in Nebraska by 2017.

The trees were sponsored by LES, Lincoln Public Schools and the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department.  Campbell's Nursery and Great Plains Nursery provided the trees at wholesale cost for the event.

Arbor Day was founded in Nebraska in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton, a former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.  The official observance in 2011 is April 29. 

Strolling Garden Tour and Plant

Pink Double Delight Coneflower

Sale May 19

Mystic Spires Salvia

Some plants available for purchase include:  

• Mystic Spires Salvia
• Bull's Blood Beet
• Dreamtime Jumbo White Strawflower
• Pink Double Delight Coneflower
• Dark Towers Penstemon
• Going Bananas Daylily - and many more! 

Sunday May 8^th provided an opportunity for Lincolnites to experience six historic homes of the Near South Neighborhood as well as the recently renovated Hazel Abel Park - nestled at the heart of the district on S.18^th & E Streets.

Despite temperatures in the upper 80s, the event attracted between 1,300 and 1,400 people attending the tour according to Greg McCowen, long time Near South resident and event organizer. 

Event volunteer Christy Aggens commented "I think that Hazel Abel was a very successful location! The park was a welcome break for tired, thirsty home-tour goers. We refilled each of our three 10 gallon drink dispensers three to four times."

"The fountain seemed to have a calming effect on the children. Several kids sat on the edge and immersed their bare feet. The play area was also very popular! "

The tour tied in nicely with the recent renovation of the park which involved the replacement of crumbling walkways, a completely accessible playground, updated plantings, and refurbished historical ornamental lighting and fence including the original gold leaf ornamentation on the gates.  Attendees were also treated to a final fanfare of the spring show of flowers including more than 3,000 bulbs exploding from all corners of the park, the sweet smell of Korean spice viburnum and the canopies of pink flowering dogwoods and whitebud trees.