Every year for the past 16 years, on the last Saturday in April, Catasauqua celebrates Arbor Day.

"The official Arbor Day in Pennsylvania was Friday, but we always celebrate on Saturday," said Robert Bastian who chairs the Catasauqua Shade Tree Commission.

Catasauqua honors residents who have volunteered their time and services to the borough with private dedications of tree plantings with funding provided to the commission by taxpayers. Others may also dedicate trees in honor or in memory of someone.

This year Wayne and Ellen Miller dedicated three arborvitaes in memory of their parents Peg and Glen Stine. The trees are planted on American and Bridge streets. Last year the Stines donated a tract of land along Catasauqua Creek to the borough.

The Shade Tree Commission dedicated a paperbark maple in memory of Sage Stauffer, who was killed in an bicycling accident at the park.

During the observance, borough Councilman Eugene Schlegel, vice chairman of the Shade Tree Commission, recited an original poem.

"It came to me late at night and I just wrote it down," he said.

Gary Gotebeski dedicated a weeping willow tree in memory of his mother, Helen and a northern red oak in memory of his father, William. The Gotebeskis are with Colonial Landscaping, a company that continues to be instrumental in supporting the urban forestry program in the borough.

"The commission dedicated a red sunset maple to the Lehigh Valley Christian School," Schlegel said. "This is their 25th anniversary, but whenever we need some help in the borough, they volunteer and add their enthusiasm to the project."

The commission acknowledged volunteers who have been instrumental in landscaping and tending to the gardens at the George Taylor House. Schlegel cited Roxanne and Art Williams, Martha and Lee Bolmer, and Ruth Roberts for their effort.

"We would not be able to have well-kept grounds around this landmark if it was not for the efforts of these residents," he said.

Verdiana Quinn, who served many years as secretary for the shade tree commission, was honored with a Japanese ivory silk lilac.

The Kroope and Baraket families dedicated a Douglas fir at 10th and St. John streets in memory of Benny Sacks.

An anonymous donor dedicated a swamp white oak on the Stine Tract in memory of Dale Edwards, who died last year.

State forester, Tim Latz, with Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, presented the borough with its 16th Tree City USA commemorative flag. Latz promised a different recognition at the 20th anniversary.

Catasauqua Mayor Barbara Schlegel said she enthusiastically supports the program and plans to continue the borough's efforts. The requirements to maintain the Tree City designation are to have a local tree commission, an ordinance to protect trees, an allocation in the borough budget of at least two dollars per capita to promote a community forestry program, and an Arbor Day recognition event.

Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated event that began as a vision of J. Sterling Morton to plant trees in Nebraska. Other communities copied the success of Morton's project so that Arbor Day is now observed in many communities, nationwide.

Brianna Westover concluded the ceremony by reciting a poem by Henry Abbey titled "What do we plant when we plant a tree?"