By Brandon HENSLEY

It’s time for Crescenta Valley residents to start thinking green again.

Spring officially comes next week, but on Saturday the good feeling of the season will begin a little earlier.

The CV Town Council and the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation will hold the annual Arbor Day ceremony at Two Strike Park, 5109 Rosemont Ave. The festivities begin at 9 a.m.

Speakers during the day will include vice president of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley Stuart Byles, who will talk about the history of Arbor Day, which started in Kansas.

L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich will also speak and give a proclamation.

“It’s about nature. It’s about planting trees and the rebirth of spring,” said Arbor Day chair Dennis van Bremen about the day. “It’s about recognizing that the earth renews itself. Every year starts a cycle of growth.”

Last year’s theme was about the volunteer spirit of the foothills. This year the theme is “Recycle – Replant – Regrow.”

In addition to that theme, this Arbor Day will also commemorate the La Crescenta Woman’s Club 100th anniversary. It’s been a year of on-going celebration for the club. In December, the Historical Society held a Christmas dinner in its honor and last month the club held a celebratory luncheon.

Ginny Bundick, co-president of the club, will be on hand to receive a plaque commemorating the anniversary. A pink trumpet tree will be planted in honor of the club at CV High School. Van Bremen said the Woman’s Club is out of room for a tree.

“Apparently there’s no more room for trees at Two Strike either,” he said.

“When the tree has been there for 50 years, [people] will say, ‘Oh wow this was planted 50 years ago in honor of the La Crescenta Woman’s Club,’ and hopefully they’ll still be around too.”

There will also be many booths present, including those from CERT, the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts, and the La Crescenta Library. OSH will be there to raffle off a couple trees, and Southern California Edison will be giving away pine trees.

The CV High Jazz band and the St. James children’s choir will also perform.

The only thing van Bremen is wary about is the chance of rain, which forecasters are predicting.

“Who knows? I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” he said.

  arbor day