In the coming years, it will be easier to beat the heat at Morgan's Sports Center after the city planted 20 new trees that had been donated.
"We've had a couple of different people donate 10 trees each year for 10 years," said Mike Pelter, parks supervisor. "We've got a bunch of open space, so this should help create some places to get out of the sun."
As part of the anonymous donation, the live oaks were recently planted throughout Morgan's Sports Center by the city's parks crew. The trees, which would have cost the city roughly $100 each, are all graded "No. 1" and they are at least 20-foot tall, according to park crews.
The generosity of the donors is what Mayor Sam Seevers says makes a great community. Given the city's tight budgets, projects like these wouldn't be possible.
"It's nice to have all of these beautiful accoutrements in the city, but money is tight and we have to rely more and more on community and public-private partnerships to get some things done," she said. "Projects like this show the type of people we have in our community and we are all better for it."
