Contact: Jack Bailey (304) 766-4109 jbaile19@wvstateu.edu INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The Ravenswood Memorial Tree Program, a collaboration between West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Service and the City of Ravenswood, won two awards for its community enrichment efforts at the 48th annual West Virginia Municipal League Conference, held this month in Morgantown. The Ravenswood Memorial Tree Program is a community beautification project that adds trees, benches and swings to the city’s parks and surrounding areas. Community members purchase commemorative plaques for the trees, or engravings on benches and swings, in memory of their loved ones. Launched in 2013, the program has planted nearly 40 trees throughout the town.
“We at WVSU are extremely proud to be a part of the Ravenswood Memorial Tree Program. To see how it has grown and become part of the fabric of Ravenswood is truly what we envisioned when we started the program,” said WVSU Extension Agent Brad Cochran. “The people of Ravenswood have truly bought into this program as a way to remember family and friends, while beautifying their town at the same time.”
The awards were in the Enrichment and Cost Reduction and Savings categories in recognition of the project’s exceptional performance and innovative contributions to a progressive municipal government.
“It’s been awesome to see this program take shape,” said Josh Miller, mayor of Ravenswood and a WVSU alum. “We’ve got a great group of folks together in Parks and Recreation and through our partnership with West Virginia State University that are truly dedicated to enriching our park system. In 10 to 20 years, as these trees grow, it’s going to be an interesting and unique thing to see in our park systems. I’m very proud of it.”
The West Virginia Municipal League is a non-profit, nonpartisan association of cities, towns and villages to assist local governments and advance the interests of the citizens who reside within. The League achieves this directive through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services for municipal elected officials. Membership includes all 232 municipalities’ population in the state.
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