Mayor James J. Fiorentini, Urban Kindness neighborhood group leader Keith Boucher and tree crew plant the first of hundreds of trees for the Mount Washington neighborhood. (Courtesy photograph.)
Mayor James J. Fiorentini Friday helped plant the first of what may be 600 to 800 trees a year for the next three years for the Mount Washington neighborhood.
Fiorentini planted the first tree of the state program at 513 Washington St., home of former Mayor Albert Bartlett a century ago. The mayor was joined by Department of Conservation and Recreation Forester Nathan Tobey and his crew, along with Urban Kindness neighborhood group leader Keith Boucher.
“This is an awesome grant that will beautify and improve our urban neighborhoods,” Fiorentini said. “Residents have the opportunity to get free trees planted for them on their own properties. Hopefully we can reverse decades of tree loss in the city though this program,” he added.
Besides the trees, the neighborhood has been the focus of revitalization efforts, including a nearly half million-dollar Working Cities Challenge grant from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
The program’s goals are to provide energy savings; street tree canopies; reduced heat island effects; and increased shade, oxygen and property values. Neighborhood property owners may receive trees professionally planted free at the front, back or side yards of their properties. The city is also planting 160 additional street trees around the city through this program and another 200 through its own budget. Residents interested in receiving free trees planted around their homes should contact the City by calling 311.
The tree planting, as WHAV first reported in January, is part of the state’s “Greening the Gateway Cities” program.
The city planted a tree in the sidewalk in front of my house on December 1, 2016. The sidewalk isn’t wide enough for the tree and the stupid sidewalk plows to get through so the sidewalk plow drives up over my property including a border garden after it snows. The sidewalk is always shoveled before the sidewalk plow arrives. My neighbors also have the same problem. Last December both my neighbor and I called the city because we knew what would happen as soon as it snowed. Neal showed up late that afternoon and in a very unpleasant manner told us that we had no right to complain about the trees, the city could do whatever it wanted. I called Neal later on to see if he calmed down and asked him to please move the tree. He said he would but never came back and removed it. I had already explained to Neal that my family over four generations had planned, worked and sustained this garden for over 100 years. The tree planted in the sidewalk would shade the shrubs and ancient perennials and basically ruin the garden over the next ten years. I have begun watering the tree weekly with round up until it is dead.
By the way….just to show you how crazy and insane liberal democrat public policy is in Haverhill under this mayor…
While mayor taxman has cut down thousands of trees around Kenosa Lake to generate just $11,000.00 in revenue for his failing administration, here is the state spending tax dollars to “plant more trees”. There he is…after totally destroying a once beautiful natural resource, using the woods around Kenosa Lake as a revenue source, he’s doing a photo opp with a shovel of all things as if he’s some kind of environmental hero.
Does the level of incompetency of this hack mayor ever end?
This is what liberalism looks like.
Instead of actually doing something to change the quality of lives of people living in this neighborhood liberals are planting trees to coverup and try to mask the failures of what democrat public policy does to segments of our population. Notice there is no mention of what the cost is to plant these 800 trees?
And the list of “benefits” that will come from these trees being planted is laughable. I’ll bet the people living in that area are so happy that the trees will be providing oxygen. It’s insanity…..
Let me guess! You are about to say criminal invaders hate tree’s . Lol
I would never say that – although, if “criminal invaders” want more trees in their neighborhood – they can go to a nursery and by some and plant them themselves……you know……just like I do.
Good comeback. Thanks for not taking yourself too seriously
Criminal trespassers entering the country illegally LOVE trees !
What else would they hide behind when they sneak in over the border?
You can spend all the money you want in the neighborhood – but unless the people that actually LIVE there keep it up and have some pride, it will look like crap.