Nellis commemorates Arbor Day Published May 16, 2011 By Nesley Orochena 99th Civil Engineer Squadron NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Nellis celebrates Arbor Day annually by organizing the Lomie Gray Heard Elementary School poster contest award show and a tree planting ceremony. This year, more than 300 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students participated in the award show, and the Nevada Division of Forestry presented Nellis with its 17th consecutive Tree City USA award at the planting ceremony May 4 at the Maj. Gen. Billy McCoy Environmental Grove. The contest's first-place winners received a $25 cashier's check from Nevada Federal Credit Union, a $100 savings bond from Armed Forces Bank and a $10 gift card from the Base Exchange. The second- and third-place winners and two honorable mentions received reduced monetary prizes. Col Steven P. Winklmann, 99th Air Base Wing vice commander, provided inspirational remarks about the artistic efforts inspired by this year's theme: "Trees are Terrific... In all Shapes and Sizes." He also gave special thanks to the prize donors--Linda Moncrief, Nevada Federal Credit Union assistant vice president; Rina Brown, Armed Forces Bank assistant vice president; and Susana Sobrino, Nellis Main Exchange general manager--and to Susan Breckon, from Hunt Military Communities, for donating the 24-gallon African Sumac tree planted in the ceremony. Mark Blankensop, Ben Bolton and Jorge Gonzales, from the Nevada Division of Forestry, presented Colonel Winklmann the 17th consecutive Tree City USA plaque and 11th consecutive Growth Award for Nellis' progress in its community forestry program. To be eligible for a Tree City USA award, a community must have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program with annual expenditures of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. More information can be found at www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.
