City officials and staff, along with former Galvan Gary Coon met recently in Washington Park to plant a tree in honor of Diana Chamberlin, who died in January.
Chamberlain directed the Galva Ambulance Service for many years before her death last January. Coon had worked with her during much of her tenure, driving the ambulance and assisting with patient transfers.
“Diana always stood by her staff,” said Coon. “She was always fair and helpful.”
Coon was instrumental in arranging the memorial to coincide with the Arbor Day planting. A current resident of Allure in Walnut, Illinois, he is the son of the late Ivan and Janet Coon who were both heavily involved in the Galva community.
“The tree that was planted is a Kentucky Espresso, known for its colorful leaves and hardiness,” said City Administrator David Dyer, adding that such trees are moderately fast-growing and the wood is often used by cabinet makers and carpenters. “We choose trees that will be here for a long time,” he said. “It’s important that we make certain they are here for future generations to enjoy.”
Living up to 100 years or more, the Kentucky Expresso trees are found in many parts of North America, including on the campus of Dartmouth College, New York’s Central Park, and the path leading up to the home of George Washington in Mount Vernon.
Arbor Day was the brainchild of J. Stanley Morton, who launched it in the state of Kansas in 1892. There, over a million trees were planted, and the idea took off from there. Eighty-four years later, the Arbor Day Society began the “Tree City USA” program, giving the designation to 42 communities in 16 states. Today, nearly 4,000 cities are granted status and found in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
Galva has been designated an official “Tree City, USA” since 1986.
Galva’s Mayor Rich Volkert noted that winning cities must complete a specific application, noting policies, budgets and planting while maintaining programs and collaborations with volunteers and other environmentally aligned agencies.
“We have a lot of beautiful trees in Galva and thank Gary for making this particular planting very special to the people who knew Diana Chamberlain,” the mayor said.
