A Tree Grows In Cutchogue, Honors 5th Grade Poster Contest Winner

CUTCHOGUE, NY — A tree grows in Cutchogue. Cutchogue East Elementary School, to be exact, where kids gathered Wednesday to plant a tree in honor of Julia Sheldon, a fifth grader at the school who created a winning poster for Southold Town's Annual Arbor Day contest.

Each year, the town hosts the contest, where students are able to display their artistic skills as the depict scenes about Arbor Day; the town then acknowledges the young winners, hangs the artwork around the Town Hall meeting room, and creates a bookmark with the winning design. A tree is then planted each year to honor the winner.

(Jill Doherty)

"The all-volunteer tree committee does a great job educating our youth about the importance of trees," said Southold Town Councilwoman Jill Doherty, who is the town board liaison to the town's tree committee.

Of the young contest entrants, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said: "The talent of our young people always astonishes. I'm sure the committee has a difficult time each year choosing the winner. The winner should be very proud."

(Jill Doherty)

The town, Doherty said, relies partially on donations to purchase trees for replanting around town as needed, and also has a program where a tree can be planted in memory of a loved one.

For details, call the Southold Town tree committee secretary Diane DiSalvo at 631-765-1892.

(Jill Doherty)