Joliet holds Arbor Day event Friday

The city of Joliet will celebrate Arbor Day on Friday at Edna Keith Elementary School.

City officials will join students in the annual planting of a tree for Arbor Day.

The event is at 10 a.m. at the school, 400 4th Ave.

Five Edna Keith students were recognized at a City Council meeting last week as winners of the annual Arbor Day Poster Contest, in which students at the school selected for the celebration made posters devoted to the value of trees.

The winners were Eian McMillan, first place; Ja’Mya McMurtry, second place; Nestor Tinoco Rodriguez, third place; Annabelle Cordova, honorable mention; and Jackson Hollister, honorable mention.

Joliet is marking its 34th consecutive year as a Tree City USA, a designation provided by the Arbor Day Foundation for municipalities that meet certain standards, including the establishment of a tree advisory board.

Joliet Tree Advisory Board Chairwoman Rita Renwick in a city news release announcing the Arbor Day celebration noted Joliet tree initiatives as it embarks on a citywide tree inventory.

“Street trees clean our air, cool our neighborhoods, and enhance the mental and physical health of the community,” Renwick said. “Taking action to care for our urban forest through an inventory and management plan is a positive step to improve the quality of life for all residents.”

For more information about the Friday event, call Sandy Zalewski in Joliet Public Schools District 86 at 815-740-3196.