web1_TTL100819rosary2.jpg

Wyoming Area Catholic School holds annual balloon rosary event

web1_TTL092819HSF-WA-Lehman_3-1-.jpg

Heartland Conference vote allows Southern Columbia to play Wyoming Area

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city&#8217;s Shade Tree Commission has neither the money nor the legal authority to do anything, but that&#8217;s not stopping it from trying.</p><p>The five-member commission, reactivated this year by Mayor Tony George after a long lapse, wants to plant seedlings in more places than one, starting with the mind of the public about the benefits of trees.</p><p>The consciousness-raising effort is high on the list of Sam Troy, acting chairman of the commission to change public opinion and help beautify the city while protecting the environment in the face of climate change and a mandate to reduce pollution runoff from stormwater into the Susquehanna River.</p><p>&#8220;They have the mindset that seems to run counter to the advantages of planting trees,&#8221; Troy said Monday during the commission&#8217;s monthly public meeting at City Hall.</p><p>Troy along with commission members Tom Rogish and Mike Steinberg had the fourth-floor city council chambers to themselves until a reporter walked in. There will be an audience for Troy at council&#8217;s Tuesday night work session when he makes a presentation about the commission.</p><p>&#8220;We have to know to what extent city council is behind us,&#8221; Troy said, and the city administration, as well.</p><p>A letter Troy and Rogish sent to council members last month listed short-term and long-term goals for the commission with the most immediate, passage of an ordinance from 2005 that&#8217;s identical to the one on the books in Kingston. Next in priority is funding in the 2020 budget to purchase and plant trees.</p><p>&#8220;We feel that it is imperative that we be able to plant some additional trees next year, even if only a few, to convince the public that we are serious in our endeavor,&#8221; the letter said.</p><p>In the past the commission acted without the benefit of an ordinance and still managed to plant trees along the length of</p><p>&#8220;We did every park in the city,&#8221; said Barber, who joined the commission in 2003.</p><p>Funding was secured through a grant from the U.S. Forestry Service, Barber said.</p><p>But Barber left after six or seven years, growing frustrated with the lack of cooperation from the administration, he said.</p><p>&#8220;Good luck,&#8221; Barber offered as advice for Troy and the others. Barber said he declined an offer to rejoin and instead offered to help the commission.</p><p>The commission regularly meets on the first Monday of the month at 11:45 a.m. in City Hall. The meetings are scheduled for Nov. 4 and Dec. 2.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_Sam-Troy.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sam Troy, acting chairman of the Wilkes-Barre Shade Tree Commission. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_Sam-Troy.jpg</photo0><caption0>Sam Troy, acting chairman of the Wilkes-Barre Shade Tree Commission. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre Shade Tree Commission trying to gather support and grow interest