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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2002
The Rotary Club of Oshkosh Southwest
P.O. Box 1202
Oshkosh, WI 54903-1202
CONTAC T: Above
Southwest Rotary Honors Environmental Efforts
The Oshkosh Southwest Rotary has a strong commitment to making Oshkosh a beautiful and quality place to live. Part of the Rotary Club's efforts are recognizing and rewarding businesses and organizations that create outstanding landscaped environments in Oshkosh.
This year's awards went to the following businesses and organizations for a variety of environmental efforts:
The Curtis Law Office, at 2905 Universal Street for the landscaping in front of their offices. George Curtis accepted the award on behalf of the firm.
Mercy Oakwood-Mercy Medical, at 500 South Oakwood Road for the woodlands pond project on the grounds of the hospital. Accepting for Mercy Oakwood was Roger Elliot head groundskeeper.
The Parkview Master Gardner Project at 725 Butler Avenue was recognized for the wheelchair accessible gardens they designed and planted at Parkview Senior Center. Dr. John Procknow accepted the award. Sheldon Nature Area , a prairie woodland preserve and WestPointe Medical Condominium property were also recognized for their landscaping efforts. The awards were accepted by John Walsh and Lisa
Siesack.
Oshkosh Rotary thanks all of these groups for the work they have done in making the highways and byways of Oshkosh a more beautiful place to live, work and visit.
Re-Leaf Oshkosh Also Recognized
This year Southwest Rotary also recognized the Re-Leaf Oshkosh Program a joint effort between the City of Oshkosh and Southwest Rotary for the work it has done in replacing trees that were destroyed in the storm of June 2001 that devastated so much of the city's tree stock. Rotary, under the leadership of David Washkoviak, a Rotary member and a member of the club's Environmental Committee stepped forward right after the storm with a plan to raise funds to replace trees lost. To date Re-Leaf Oshkosh has planted 70 trees and they are still going strong. David Washkoviak accepted the award and recognized a number of people and organizations who have been active in this effort. Among them are Bob Heisey of Anchor Bank, David Zurbe of Aurora Health Care, Bonnie Behnke of Community First Credit Union, Bob Hernke of Wisconsin Public Service, Paul Fowler and David Omachinski of Oshkosh B'Gosh. Special thanks was given to Gary Henzel of Roehr Nursey who donated 22,000 trees and the labor to plant them. Efforts continue to replace all the damaged trees.
"Re-leaf Oshkosh is a true community effort and success story", said David Washkoviak. The City, Oshkosh Southwest Rotary, The community Foundation, the Oshkosh Parks Department and area business leaders all came forward to lend assistance to this project. Because of the fund-raising efforts the project has received matching funds from state forestry grants and has in effect doubled the money raised. This has been a real win-win situation for everyone, according to
Washkoviak.
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