[Durham INC] Durham Celebrates Arbor Day March 22

Fri Mar 8 10:02:15 EST 2013

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

News Media Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov 

http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC 

http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC    

For Immediate Release: March 8, 2013

Durham Celebrates Arbor Day with Tree Planting March 22

Event to Celebrate 30 Consecutive Years as a "Tree City USA" in Newly
Landscaped Black Wall Street Plaza

DURHAM, N.C. - A tree planting and seedling giveaway in the newly
landscaped Black Wall Street Plaza will commemorate the City of Durham's
annual Arbor Day celebration, where Durham will be recognized as a "Tree
City USA" for the 30th consecutive year.

The free event is set for Friday, March 22, 2013, at 11 a.m. in the
Black Wall Street Plaza, which is bounded by Orange Street, Mangum
Street and Parrish Street in downtown Durham. This year's event is
sponsored by the City of Durham's General Services Department and the
Office of Economic and Workforce Development as well as Keep Durham
Beautiful, Inc.

During this event, City officials will receive the 30th consecutive
"Tree City USA" designation from a representative with the N.C. Forest
Service at the newly built pergola, followed by a ceremonial tree
planting in the plaza. Event attendees will also be treated to a
performance by the Morehead Montessori Children's Choir, who will
perform a special selection in honor of this occasion. Attendees will
also be able to visit event sponsor tables and receive a free tree
seedling, where once planted, they can then take a photo of the newly
planted tree and redeem it for special discounts at sponsor businesses.

According to Alex Johnson, manager of the Urban Forestry Division in the
City's General Services Department, this year's event is designed to
help residents celebrate trees in urban environments and encourage them
to plant and care for trees in their own yards and neighborhoods. "It's
hard to overstate the importance of trees in urban areas since they
buffer noise, create cool and inviting spaces, reduce energy use, clean
air, remove carbon, and produce oxygen." Johnson said. "Trees also
reduce erosion and runoff. Compared with other elements of
infrastructure, trees increase in value over time, repaying their modest
cost of installation many times over through the environmental services
they provide."

Work is now underway on the new Black Wall Street Plaza where the City's
General Services Department is planting new trees and building a new
pergola to be completed in time for the Arbor Day Celebration later this
month. The landscaping work in this plaza is the second phase of the
Parrish Street Project and is being funded with $40,500 remaining from a
grant received by the City's Office of Economic and Workforce
Development from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
with assistance from U.S. Representative David E. Price. The first phase
of the Parrish Street Project was completed in 2009 with the
installation of six historical markers commemorating the rich history of
Parrish Street. Part of the landscaping project in the Black Wall Street
Plaza is also being supported by a $10,000 donation from BP and Family
Fare.

According to Tania Dautlick, executive director of Keep Durham
Beautiful, green space also has an economic impact for surrounding
businesses. "Keep America Beautiful reports that the value of properties
in proximity to trees or within a quarter mile of a park can be as much
as 10 percent higher," Dautlick said. "Trees in business districts also
report higher revenue than treeless areas because consumers prefer
visiting green retail and business locations. 'Views of green' have even
been shown to improve employee satisfaction and productivity for
businesses. Since the Black Wall Street Plaza is in the heart of the
revitalized Parrish Street, the impact of this newly landscaped green
space should have a positive impact on these businesses as well."

For more information about Durham's Arbor Day celebration, contact
Johnson at (919) 560-4197, ext. 21275 or by email at 
Alexander.Johnson at DurhamNC.gov. 

About the General Services Department

The City of Durham's General Services Department creates, manages and
maintains city properties to provide best value to the Durham community.
The core business functions include: Administration/Business Services,
Facility Operations, Landscape Services, Urban Forestry, Real Estate,
Construction Project Management, Cemeteries, Keep Durham Beautiful, and
Deferred Maintenance. As guided by the City's Strategic Plan, General
Services serves as a steward of the City's physical assets. Through
annual and long-range facility planning activities, the department
plans, provides, and maintains the City's facilities infrastructure,
which supports the community's quality of life and serves as a
foundation of a healthy economy. For more information, visit 
http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/gs/Pages/Home.aspx.  

About the Office of Economic & Workforce Development

Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, the Office of Economic & Workforce
Development helps ensure that Durham has a strong and diverse economy by
increasing the city's tax base through several revitalization
initiatives, including new development efforts in the central city area.
The department also plans and promotes cultural awareness and events,
identifies and recruits target industries as well as assesses and trains
Durham residents to fill new jobs. For more information, visit 
http://www.DurhamEconomicDevelopment.org
<http://www.DurhamEconomicDevelopment.org> , "like" on Facebook at 
http://www.Facebook.com/DurhamOEWD <http://www.Facebook.com/DurhamOEWD>
, or "follow" on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/DurhamOEWD
<http://Twitter.com/DurhamOEWD> .

About Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc.

Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit, volunteer organization
working in partnership with the City of Durham's General Services
Department and the County of Durham to encourage private businesses,
residents, and community organizations to conserve and enhance the
appearance and environment of Durham through cleanup events,
beautification projects, and educational activities. For more
information, visit http://www.KeepDurhamBeautiful.org, "like" on
Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/KeepDurhamBeautiful, or "follow" on
Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/DurhamBeautiful. 

About the Parrish Street Project

The Parrish Street Project is an initiative of the Durham City Council
to commemorate the nationally significant history of Parrish Street,
also known as "Black Wall Street," and spur economic revitalization for
this downtown Durham corridor. This initiative is being coordinated by
the City's Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the Parrish
Street Advocacy Group, and a group of Durham leaders, activists,
businesses, and residents representing some of the most influential
organizations and interests in the Bull City. Together they are engaged
in a mission to attract new investment and pursue national heritage area
status from the United States Congress. To learn more, visit 
http://www.ParrishStreet.org. 

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