March/April 2015 | 9
they spread out to several live wreath unloading
sites at trucks parked throughout Arlington,
volunteers listened to an opening ceremony in
which they received encouragement to first read
the names on gravesites before laying wreaths.
"Some tombstones may have been forgotten
or never visited," Connelly explains. While she
has friends with loved ones buried at Arlington,
Connelly also volunteered in remembrance of
her grandfather, a Navy veteran, who passed
away last year. Shop Manager John Moss from
Dulles, Virginia, attended with his daughter, Beth,
and granddaughters, Eliza, 14, and Addison, 5.
"It was a nice day for the event," Moss says.
"Those girls make me so proud I just had to
share their contributions." Moss started working
on the Arlington account when he first joined
Davey 30 years ago.
Connelly and volunteer Frank Graziano,
director of engineering at WSSI, agree they'll
volunteer for Wreaths Across America again.
"It's a good way to show appreciation,"
Graziano says. "It was heartwarming."
Connelly, who enjoys simply observing the
families and other volunteers who attend the
event, says wreath laying at Arlington was
"a nice way to start the holiday season."
If you're interested in supporting the cause but
are unable to attend future Wreaths Across
America events, you can donate to the cause here:
http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/act-now/.
Barry Sherwood clips seed pods from
small branches of a descendant of the
last standing Liberty Tree.
I
t was the biggest tree to ever attend a
special holiday shopping extravaganza in
Cleveland, Ohio.
The tree was so big, a crane was required
to remove it from the homeowner's property
—and police had to escort the 40-foot-tall
specimen to its final destination, Cleveland's
I-X Center.
In late November, Davey's West Cleveland
R/C crew helped remove a large blue spruce
tree for a Strongsville, Ohio, homeowner who
had requested its removal from the lot.
Aware of upcoming involvement with
I-X Center's holiday shopping kick-off event,
"Christmas Connection," Davey's office chose
the blue spruce to fulfill the expected live
Christmas tree request.
"Each year we are tasked to find a tree for
'Christmas Connection,'" explains Kyle Celmer,
district manager of Davey's West Cleveland
R/C office. "When we visit clients that want a
candidate-sized tree removed, we make note."
In most cases, such trees slated for removal
were planted too close to homes or driveways
and have outgrown their landscape beds.
"This is common for many 20+-year-old
landscapes," Celmer says.
But instead of being removed and forgotten,
the tree Celmer's crew ultimately selects earns
another "moment of glory" by contributing to
an annual local event featuring vendors from
the Midwest.
"We always suggest and encourage a replant-
ing plan upon removals," Celmer explains.
Last year's blue spruce tree received extra
attention and decoration from Nov. 21 through
Nov. 23 during "Christmas Connection."
Another Moment of Glory
Davey's West Cleveland R/C
crew removes a 40-foot-tall blue
spruce tree from a residential
lot in Strongsville, Ohio.
The newly-famous blue spruce from
Strongsville required a police escort to
Cleveland's I-X Center before it was
decorated for "Christmas Connection."
