Community Service

Tri~Town Celebrates

Rotary International's 100th Anniversary

By Planting An Elm Tree In Each Of  Our Three

Member Towns: LEE ~ LENOX ~ STOCKBRIDGE

LENOX — The Lenox Library received a little green yesterday, in the form of an elm tree.

Members of Elm Watch, a tree restoration initiative, and the Tri-Town Rotary, a civic group representing Lee, Lenox and Stockbridge, donated the Princeton American elm, a disease-resistant tree, in celebration of Rotary International's 100th anniversary.

The tree was planted by Lenox tree warden Warren Archey and Elm Watch founder Tom Zetterstrom in front of the library, near the entrance of Roche Reading Park.

During a brief ceremony, both men spoke briefly about the significance of the elm and the importance of such environmental efforts in the town.

This is the second historic American elm restoration at the library. The first took place in 2003, sponsored by Shawn Leary Considine and Michael Considine.

The new trees replace two huge elms that were planted in the mid-1800s and that succumbed to Dutch elm disease in the 1960s.

— Jenn Smith

^ Before       and       After ^

The Tri-Town Rotary Club of Lee, Lenox, and Stockbridge, MA is pleased to announce that 3 American Elm trees will be donated and planted in our member communities as recognition of Rotary International’s 100th anniversary.  Rotary International was created in 1905 by Paul Harris, a businessman in Chicago , who strongly believed in helping mankind. The ongoing foundation of Rotary is to help people as evidenced by the slogan “Service Above Self.”  There are currently 1.25 million Rotarians world-wide in 164 countries. 

The Tri-Town Club was originated in Lee in 1927 and has been active in local and international service projects. Locally, programs such as fuel assistance, funds for a variety of youth-related activities, annual college scholarships, as well as providing hands-on assistance, are part of Tri-Town’s commitment to our Berkshire communities. Internationally, Tri-Town has actively participated in raising funds to support RI’s commitment to eradicate polio on a world-wide basis. Since 1980, RI has provided more than $600 million in this effort.  Fortunately, due to Rotary’s commitment and follow-through, the world is now 99% free of polio.

The three disease-resistant American Elms being planted will be located in Lee at the Ambulance Squad Building , in Lenox at the Lenox Free Library and in Stockbridge at The Norman Rockwell Museum.  The plantings have been arranged through Elm Watch (www.ElmWatch.org) which is an organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the Elm tree throughout New England .  The American elm truly relates to Rotary’s 100th anniversary as Tom Zetterstrom of Elm Watch says: “The elm, as well as being the largest and most beautiful tree on the planet, has a life span of 100 years”.  Tri-Town Rotary plans to continue helping people locally and internationally for the next 100 years.  

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LENOX ~ LIBRARY

L to R Lenox Selectman and Tri~Town Rotary's Treasurer, Roscoe Sandlin, Esq.; Vin Marinaro. Assistant District Governor and a member of the Pittsfield Rotary Club; Current President Becky Sorrentino; District #7890 Governor, Richard Borden; and Elm Tree Project Inspirator, Past President Roger Levine.

LEE ~ AMBULANCE

Frank Consolati, Lee Selectman; Patricia Carlito, Lee Selectwoman; Lisa Breault, Lee Ambulance and George Membrino, Tri-Town Rotary

LEE ~ AMBULANCE

Past President and Elm Tree Project Inspirator, Roger Levine, Tri-Town Rotary and Lisa Breault, Lee Ambulance

STOCKBRIDGE ~ NRM

L to R Kim Rawson, Assistant Communications Director for Norman Rockwell Museum; Past President Myron Lipinsky; Past President and Elm Tree Project Inspirator, Roger Levine; Tom Zetterstrom of Elm Watch and Stockbridge Selectwoman, Deborah McMenamy.