Committee considers ‘Liberty Tree’ planting and plaque to mark U.S. 250th anniversary

A committee meeting heard a proposal to mark the U.S. 250th anniversary with a ‘Liberty Tree’ designation and related plantings.

Speaker 6 presented the Liberty Tree Project, saying the Sons of the American Revolution have promoted a program that would allow the committee to designate an existing tree for a ceremony and plant additional elms on Liberty Street and North Liberty Street. "So it's called the Liberty Tree Project," Speaker 6 said, and proposed the large elm by the high school as the site for a visible ceremony and a plaque.

Committee members discussed logistics and why the high-school lawn is attractive for visibility. Speaker 6 said the sponsor provides plaque designs and that a public ceremony could be scheduled the week before July 4, while the actual planting would follow when seasonally appropriate and when trees can be procured. Speaker 6 noted that planting on private property would require homeowner permission and that land‑bank property would also be an option.

Members weighed mounting options for a plaque — embedding a plaque in a boulder on the school lawn or using existing sidewalk dedication stones — and discussed durability (bronze or stone). Speaker 1 said a local vendor could produce a custom plaque; Speaker 6 estimated that working with project sponsors typically costs about $200 for an elm-and-plaque package but emphasized designs vary.

The committee agreed to pursue site visits, obtain school‑department and Land Bank permissions where needed, and prepare a proposal for Select Board endorsement. Speaker 6 offered to contact the Land Bank and follow up with Speaker 1 and Charlie on next steps.

What happens next: committee members will walk candidate sites, confirm permissions with homeowners and the school department, obtain cost estimates for plaques and trees, and revisit the proposal at a future meeting.