Accepting Tree City USA Awards for Ada are members of the village tree commission. Awards were presented Wednesday at a northwest Ohio meeting held at the Toledo Zoo. Pictured are (front row, from left) Don Traxler, Terry Keiser, Angela Polachek, Norm Rex, Beth Fenton; (back row) Monty Siekerman, Dick Lawrence, Jamie Hall, Jim Meyer, Mike Hubbell and Dave Retterer.

The Village of Ada and Ohio Northern University were honored at Tree City USA awards ceremony held at the Toledo Zoo on Wednesday.

Ada was given an award for the 34th consecutive year. The village also garnered a growth award, one of the few given to villages, towns, and cities in northwest Ohio.

The awards are based on planning, care, and growth of trees in the community. The growth award is given for extra events and educational programs undertaken throughout the year.

The university received its sixth consecutive annual award. ONU has won this award annually since it first began.

Mayor Dave Retterer was on hand to accept the accolades for the village. Don Traxler is chair of the tree commission. Eleven Ada commissioners attended the Toledo event.
Terry Keiser represented ONU. He is retired chair of biological sciences, director of sustainability, village forester, and a member of the local tree commission.

Mark Bays was keynote speaker. He is an urban forester who saved The Survivor Tree at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing.

The tree is part of the memorial and is a symbol of human resilience.

Tree City USA is a tree planting and tree care program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation. (Monty Siekerman)