ONE DAY, ONE SCHOOL

Saturday, November 1st, 2008 at:

Salem Drive School
29 Salem Drive
Whippany, NJ 07981
Phone: (973) 515-2440

ORGANIZERS:

Scott Eveland – Mayor, Florham Park

Tom “Ace” Gallagher – Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding, Whippany and Florham Park NJ

Ric Close – District Manager, Davey Tree Expert Co., Roseland NJ

Dr. William Ronzetti – Superintendent of Schools, Florham Park NJ

Phil Infantalino – Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, Florham Park Board of Education

John Tsanto – Business Director, Florham Park Board Of Education

Chief Patrick Montuore – Florham Park Police

Carl F. Ganger, Jr. – Director, Florham Park Division of Community Services

Blaine Rothhauser – Chmn, Florham Parks Environmental Commis & Pres, BR Environmental

Judy Iradi – Hanover Township Deputy Mayor

Dr. Scott Pepper – Superintendent, Hanover Township Schools

Lorraine Konopka – Arborist, Township of Hanover

Lenny Ciurrillo – Superintendent, Hanover Township Parks & Recreation Department

John Cryan – Councilman, Morristown

Roy E. Aull Sr. - Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, Hanover Township School District

Joe Aquino – YMCA Volunteer Coordinator One Day One School

Dan Gallagher - media consultant

TREE SERVICES:

Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding, LLC – Whippany and Florham Park, NJ

A and M Services – Hanover Township, NJ

All American Tree Company – Whippany, NJ

Cashman Landscape – East Hanover, NJ

D.K. Tree Experts – Madison, NJ

Davey Tree Company – District Office, Roseland NJ

Greenwood Tree Company – Whippany, NJ

Honor Tree Service – Madison, NJ

Chim Chim Tree Service – Freedon-Newton, NJ

Timberland Tree Service – Florham Park , NJ

Woodland Tree Company – Madison, NJ

Zizza Landscape Construction – Whippany, NJ

MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS:

Florham Park Department of Community Services

Florham Park Environmental Commission

Hanover Township Department of Public Works

Hanover Township Environmental Commission

Hanover Township Parks & Recreation Department

Morris Center YMCA

Morristown Environmental Commission

Whippany Fire Department

COMPANIES:

BR Environmental, LLC – Florham Park , NJ

Florham Park Hardware

Leonardi Manufacturing – Weedsport, NJ

Morris Sign Company – Whippany , NJ

NJ Shopping and Dining (formerly “The Marketeer”) – East Hanover , NJ

Whole Foods Market – Madison , NJ

One Day, One School in the News:

“One Day One School” Volunteer School Initiative Recognized

Organizers receive award from NJ Department of Environmental Protection

Organizers of the nationally recognized One Day One School voluntary school grounds initiative were presented with the New Jersey Green Community Achievement Award at the New Jersey Shade Tree Foundation’s annual meeting in Cherry Hill this past Saturday, October 21st.

The award is given by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s Parks and Forestry Division, in recognition of individuals or groups whose outstanding efforts have greatly contributed to the field of urban and community forestry.

The awards are co-sponsored by the New Jersey Forest Service, New Jersey Community Forest Council, and the New Jersey Tree Foundation.

The One Day One School program brings together tree experts, school officials, town representatives, local companies and students, all volunteering their own time and efforts to make their community school grounds cleaner and safer.

Co-founder Tom “Ace” Gallagher states, “Of course we are honored to receive the award, but we have always maintained that One Day One School was not about us. We sincerely believe that this is just the beginning, so the real honor of this award is it could be helpful in getting our message out to even more schools districts in New Jersey and beyond.

The initiative’s progress so far has shown that it really can be a win–win for everybody, particularly for the students.”

The next One Day One School event is scheduled to take place in Denville on November 14th.

VOLUNTEER SCHOOL GROUNDS CLEANUP PROGRAM COMES TO SALEM DRIVE SCHOOL

Nationally recognized “ One Day One School ” program brings together tree experts, school officials, town representatives, local companies, and young volunteers

Salem Drive School will be the site of the next “One Day One School” community volunteer cleanup event on Saturday November 1.

The initiative, now entering its third year, is based on the simple idea that a single day of volunteer teamwork will go a long way in making the community's school grounds cleaner and safer.

The day's activities will begin with a collection of area tree care companies donating their time, equipment, and services to prune and remove dangerous trees and branches.

They will then assist crews of volunteers in a complete cleanup of the area, and will finally supervise the planting of new trees and shrubs.

The program was inspired by Tom “Ace” Gallagher of Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding Service of Whippany when he noticed dead tree branches hanging over a path as he walked his son to Salem Drive School .

Having plenty of experience in clearing storm damage at various schools, he volunteered his company's services after learning there was no budget to clean up the potential hazard.

The idea was developed further with longtime friends Florham Park Mayor Scott Eveland and Rick Close of the Davey Tree Expert Company in Morris Plains .

The three quickly recognized the concept's potential not just as a “quick fix” for a particular location, but as an ongoing series of awareness-raising events that could be easily duplicated in any community.

After they'd enlisted several area companies and local officials, the first full-scale event took place in 2007 at Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park with many of the school's own students among the group of enthusiastic volunteers.

Since then, the “environmental makeover” initiative has steadily expanded to include the participation of several additional tree services, school officials, town representatives, public works departments and community organizations along with other local companies and sponsors. An environmental education element has also been incorporated into the program itself.

Volunteer School Grounds Cleanup Program Comes to Salem Drive School

The organizers explain that since this type of work is not always allocated in a school's budget, the One Day One School program is an ideal way to bring the entire community together to make any of the needed improvements at no cost to taxpayers.

In fact, Florham Park Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Ronzetti has estimated that the series of One Day, One School initiatives had saved the district from $85,000 to $100,000 in 2007.

The series of One Day One School events has been covered by area publications such as the Daily Record, The Star-Ledger, The Florham Park Eagle and the Hanover Eagle & Weekly News, and the group has been contacted by several other municipalities interested in bringing the program to their own communities.

Confirming the organizers' belief in the idea's portability, a One Day One School event was recently held in Townsend , Montana following a feature article in Tree Care Industry Association Magazine.

The group of Salem Drive volunteers will also include a “crew” of Florham Park school administrators and town representatives.

“We want to take the program over to other communities,” said John Csatlos, Florham Park school district's business administrator. “We are dedicated to this, and we would volunteer at other schools as if they were our own.”

A barbecue grill will be manned by local police officials with all food being provided by Whole Foods of Madison, NJ.

Eveland has described the program as not only a way to raise awareness, but also as an opportunity for the participants to “take ownership in your school.”

“Never have people had so much fun working,” he said. “But more than that, this is an investment for the kids in the future or their community.”

'ONE DAY, ONE SCHOOL' ONE GREAT IDEA

Some years ago, Thomas “Ace” Gallagher of neighboring Hanover Township was in the habit of walking his son to elementary school each day. Gallagher wanted his son to be safe.

But as he looked up one day from the path they took to school, he was alarmed.

The reason: To Gallagher's experienced eye as the owner of a stump grinding business, he could see dead branches hanging over the path, along with dead trees.

Suddenly the walk to school didn't seem so safe.

Gallagher did something about it. He wrote to the school superintendent, volunteering his company's tree services. He didn't know it, but he was launching “One Day, One School .”

The idea: One day of volunteer work can do wonders in making school grounds cleaner and safer.

Soon, Gallagher found a like-minded partner in Rick Close, district manager of the Davey Tree Expert Company in Morris Plains . Now they had the wherewithal to climb trees and prune dangerous dead limbs, remove dead trees entirely, and grind down the stumps.

All of this caught the attention of Scott Eveland, a councilman who was running for mayor last year in Florham Park .

Eveland had been championing shared services to reduce costs to taxpayers. He had a project in mind for Gallagher and Close: removing dead trees, rotting limbs, undergrowth and debris from the area around a ball field at the Ridgedale Middle School .

Gallagher and Close went for the idea. So did Florham Park Superintendent of schools William Ronzitti, who knew the proposed work was beyond the means of the local school budget. Ad date was set for last June.

Ronzitti and Eveland weren't going to leave all the work to Gallagher and Close, however. They set about mobilizing student volunteers, and public works trucks. The idea was once the professionals had taken care of any dangerous trees and branches, the volunteers would move in and clean up the area. It wasn't just a case of fallen limbs and undergrowth either—there was a lot of jus plain trash in the woods bordering the ball field.

About a week before the cleanup date, high winds brought down a tree limb about a foot in diameter, crashing near the bleachers where parents frequently sit to cheer on the young athletes. Ronzitti realized “One Day, One School ” was coming just in time.

The eight-hour project day transformed a mess into safe, attractive grounds. Nearly 40 trees were pruned for safety and another 15 or so trees were removed. Students cleaned up litter and debris. Ronzitti cooked hot dogs for everyone on a grill. Not only did the school district gain free labor and equipment equivalent to a donation of about $10,000, but students also got a civics lesson, and the eight-hour day promoted teamwork.

It was all much too good to be a one-shot deal.

“One Day, One School ” is returning to Florham Park on Saturday, April 5. This time the project area will be the grounds of the adjacent Brooklake and Briarwood elementary schools off Brooklake Road . Four other tree service companies are joining Gallagher and Close in the effort. Student crews will not only clean up with rakes, but will plant new trees in shrubs native to the area under the guidance of naturalist Blaine Rothauser, chairman of the borough's Environmental Commission. So along with the civics lessons, students will get an education in biodiversity. Acting Police Chief Patrick Montuore will join Ronzitti at the grill. It will all go down between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. April 5, and as Mayor Eveland has pointed out, the lasting improvement “doesn't cost our taxpayers a dime.”

We applaud everyone involved with “One Day, One School ,” and encourage local residents and businesses to lend their support, as the Whole Foods market in Madison has by donating all the food for the day.

TREE EXPERTS, YOUNG VOLUNTEERS WILL AGAIN PARTNER FOR A CLEANUP

By Lisa Martone 

Florham Park – An environmental makeover program that began in the heart of Morris County has now expanded nationwide into a community event that aims at benefiting neighborhoods and school districts.

It began some years ago when Thomas “Ace” Gallagher of the Whippany section of Hanover Township , who was in the habit of walking his 10-year old son to school every day, happened to gaze up and didn't like the looks of the loose branches teetering above their heads.

“I was walking my son to school and I looked up and noticed a lot of loose branches and debris all around the schools,” he said. “It seemed very hazardous for the kids to be around.”

Gallagher volunteered his company, Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding of Whippany, to come to his son's school and fix the hazards he noticed that day.

His volunteer efforts caught attention of a high school friend and Florham Park councilman, now Mayor Scott Eveland, and Rick Close, district manager of the Morris Plains office of the Davy Tree Expert Company.

Florham Cleanup

Gallagher partnered with Eveland and Close and set out in Florham Park last June with dozens of young people and teachers to clean up the Ridgedale Middle School grounds of hazardous debris, grind down stumps, and remove garbage and diseased trees, just as he had done in Whippany.

The efforts of the three men resulted in the launching of a full-fledged national community service program called “One Day, One School .”

The eight-hour cleanup day in Florham Park last June, mixing tree experts with volunteers, captured national exposure last December with a three-page layout about the program in Tree Care Industry, the official publication of the Tree Care Industry Association.

And, “One Day, One School ” is returning to Florham Park in 2008.

April 5 Event

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 5, Gallagher, Close, and Eveland again will be joined by William Ronzitti, superintendent of Florham Park's grades K-8 school system, and Acting Police Chief Patrick Montuore to rally together teachers, students and other community members for a day dedicated to the cleanup of the school grounds at the adjacent Briarwood and Brooklake elementary schools off Brooklake Road.

“This is an amazing community effort,” Gallagher said.

“I believe if everybody gives a little bit of their time, it makes a really big difference. This program makes a school better-looking and much safer – and safety is our biggest concern.”

Last year about 75 people came out to donate their services and time to clean up the ball field area of the Ridgedale Middle School off Ridgedale Avenue .

The eight-hour cleanup involved safety pruning of nearly 40 trees and stump grinding of 15 to 20 trees that were removed completely, totaling a donation of an estimated $15,000 in labor and equipment costs.

Eight graders, meanwhile, scoured the area around their ball field to pick up discarded soda bottles and other trash.

“This is a tremendous way to clean up the school with some necessary work, that doesn't cost our taxpayers a dime,” Mayor Eveland said.

Ronzitti agreed that the donated labor and expertise in last June's cleanup at the middle school would have been out of bounds for an improvement funded by the district's budget.

Native Plantings

This year, with the help of local tree companies, student volunteers will yet again rake, clean, and plant new trees and shrubs, native to the area.

Naturalist Blaine Rothauser of Florham Park, chairman of the Florham Parks Environmental Commission, will oversee the native planting efforts.

Ronzitti and Montuore will be cooking up complimentary hot dogs and hamburgers, provided by Whole Foods of Madison for the volunteers.

“We are always looking for people to come and help,” Gallagher said. “Getting the kids involved and bringing the community together is also what this is all about.”

All-American Tree Company of Whippany, Woodland Tree Company of Florham Park, Honor Tree Company of Madison and Ironwood Tree Service of Florham Park have also agreed to donate services and workers for the afternoon. Florham Park Hardware will be donating tools for the cleanup.

VOLUNTEER CLEAN UP SAVES TAXPAYERS THOUSANDS

Florham Pk. School Latest In One-Day Projects

By: David Zimmer 

Florham Park – Tom “Ace” Gallagher's One Day, One School program swept through the Brooklake Elementary School this weekend as volunteers removed a variety of nonnative plant species, countless limbs and around 50 trees to ensure the safety of the entire perimeter of the schoolyard.

The Saturday event possibly saved the school district “$50,000 to $60,000,” said John MacFarlane, the Florham Park board of education president.

Davey Tree Co., Woodland Tree Co., Honor Tree Co., and Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding LLC of Whippany spearheaded this weekend's event. In addition, more than 100 volunteers participated, including students, teachers and township officials.

“If there is one thing I have learned it is that there are a lot of cool people that are willing to give back and put in the time,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher established the One Day, One School program two years ago to help clean up local schoolyards by removing rotten trees, hazardous debris, and invasive species.

“It was hard to get this program off the ground,” Gallagher said. “But I felt people would give back if they had a vehicle.”

The beginning

Last June, two professional tree companies and more than 75 people participated in the first event. During the eight hours of work the group pruned approximately 40 trees in an effort that would have cost Florham Park at least $10,000, Gallagher said.

Since then, the One Day, One School program has gained the support of municipal officials and tree care professionals from across the nation.

Recently, the eight to 10 hour day of volunteer brush clearing has spread as far as Townsend , Montana .

“This is all about teamwork,” Gallagher said. “We are working on keeping the community safe and ensuring that everyone is pitching in.”

For the second event William Ronzitti, the Florham Park school district superintendent, asked Gallagher to help clean up the woods near the basketball courts for the safety of the students.

“I asked if he could do the one corner,” Ronzitti said. “He said we can do that in about an hour.”

“This is the way we do it around Florham Park ,” he said. “We are like one big family.”

During the event, the volunteers collected refuse, spread mulch, and created brush piles in and around the schoolyard as the tree professionals scaled heights to trim branches, and got dirty planting trees and removing stumps.

Working fun

“Never have people had so much fun working,” Florham Park Mayor Scott Eveland said. “But more than that, this is an investment for the kids in the future or their community.”

“Where else do you see a kid asking for a rake?,” Eveland said.

Amy Iandiorio, a 10-year old volunteer, spent most of the morning finding garbage and assorted refuse in the woods, including the old schoolyard slide.

“It's just horrible to see,” Iandiorio said.

More than being fun, this is something that needs to be done, she added.

“This is really for the young children in the community,” Ronzitti said. “They will remember this day for years to come and hopefully take pride in what they have done today and what they can do in the future.”

Backyard lesson

Adventive species in the area were removed, and native species were planted to revitalize the area in hopes of creating a more stable environment. In order to inform the children in the community, there were several presentations given about the benefits of maintaining healthy forests.

“The idea is to get people to be better stewards of their own backyards,” Blaine Rothauser, the head of Florham Park 's environmental commission, said.

The professional volunteers created a mix of mulch and brush from the limbs and trees they removed to put right back into the edge of the schoolyard. Birdhouses were also added to ensure there would be new habitats for all forms of life to replace those that were removed.

Florham Park Hardware donated rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows, and the national grocery chain Whole Foods supported the event by providing food, beverages and other supplies, Gallagher said.

The Florham Park 's Deputy Chief of Police and Vice President of the school board, Patrick Montuore commanded the grill dishing out hamburgers, hot dogs, and tuna steaks to dedicated volunteers.

“With the help of the council and the board of education, this has become something really outstanding,” Andrew Bassolino, a township employee, said.

Selling free service

A Hanover resident for the last four years, Gallagher sends his children to the school district where his mother taught for more than 28 years.

Gallagher originally decided to offer his time and resources to the local communities because he was concerned about the hazardous tree limbs that loomed above the path his 10-year-old son took to school.

Since he works with more than 80 landscaping companies and 10 tree trimming services, Gallagher said, he was confident he could establish a successful volunteer program that would spruce up local paths and schoolyards for free.

Gallagher said he knew that limbs needed to come down, but thought the township would not be able to pay for such an expense.

“Everything comes down to budget these days,” he said.

Then Gallagher contacted the township offering to remove the limbs on his own time. With support from superintendent of Hanover schools, Scott Pepper, the township granted his request.

Spreading the work

Recently, Gallagher invited Superintendent Pepper to decide what school they would like the One Day, One School program to target.

“It is all coming back to roost,” Gallagher said.

“After we do our third school next year, we want to take the program over to other communities,” said John Csatlos, Florham Park school district's business administrator. “We are dedicated to this, and we would volunteer at other schools as if they were our own.”

Hanover Council member Judy Iradi described Tom Gallagher as “an asset to Hanover ,” since he is using his own time and resources to improve the community when he could be making money.

“ Hanover is a dedicated volunteer town, and both Gallagher and his program are good for this community,” Iradi said. “People are already talking about what has been done, and what will be done.”

Stump Grinding 101 with Ace Gallagher and Bandit Industries

Not sure how stump grinding works? It’s as much art as it is science—watch Ace Gallagher and his Bandit Industries Model 2150XP in action through the video links below:

• Model 2150XP/2450XP Overview, Part 1

• Model 2150XP/2450XP Overview, Part 2

Need more stump grinding action? See more of Ace, get the basics of stump grinding and see the various grinders available from Bandit Industries, all through these video links:

• Stump Grinders Overview, Part 1

• Stump Grinders Overview, Part 2

Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding LLC is proud to have Bandit Industries as a partner, not just from their work with Eveland-Gallagher-Close One Day One School, but for their efforts in other specialty projects, both locally and around the world. Bandit equipment isn’t just preferred by Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding and many other One Day One School partners; Bandit stump grinders, wood chippers and recyclers can be found assisting in federal research work, renewable energy operations, and much more. This is the kind of work ethic and commitment to communities that Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding seeks to associate with, and it’s why our One Day One School partners like Bandit aren’t just partners, but friends.

Read Bandit’s story on One Day One School, and see the latest goings-on at Bandit Industries by visiting their website: http://www.banditchippers.com.


Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park

The History of One Day, One School:

In 2006, Ace Gallagher developed a program called One Day, One School with the help of Scott Pepper, Superintendent of Hanover Township Schools. The goal was to get local companies to handle safety pruning, hazardous removals, and stump grinding at a selected school.

In the spring of 2007, Scott Eveland, Florham Park Councilman, approached Ace Gallagher and asked, "What do we need to do to get this off the ground?" Councilman Eveland arranged a meeting and One Day, One School was taken to the next stage of development.

On June 2nd, over 75 volunteers along with several local companies gathered at Ridgedale School in Florham Park and gave the school a facelift.

The program is now called Eveland Gallagher Close One Day, One School, since the colaboration with Rick Close of Davey Tree Co.

One Day, One School in the News:

Grade Schoolers Are Stumped No More
CLICK HERE to read the article by Joseph Aquino

Eveland, Gallagher, Close "One Day One School" Program
CLICK HERE to read the editorial by Elizabeth Doran

Another "One Day, One School" Success Story!
CLICK HERE to read the article

CLICK HERE to read the Feature Article in the December 2008 issue Tree Care Industry Association Magazine
(pg. 24 - 27)

CLICK HERE to read the Feature Article in the December 2007 issue of Tree Care Industry Association Magazine
(pg. 34 - 36)

IF A TREE FALLS IN MONTANA , IT'S HEARD IN NEW JERSEY

By Paula Saha

On March 11, volunteers kicked up some sawdust in Townsend , Mont. , when they took down four Siberian elms, ground their stumps, installed a watering system, and put in a new bed of plants along the side of a school.

News reports show it was a very successful community event, the impetus for which was thousands of miles away – in Whippany.

It all started with Tom “Ace” Gallagher's brainstorm for helping cash-strapped school districts clean their grounds – dubbed “One Day, One School .”

The owner of the Whippany-based Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding Services started the initiative when he was walking with his son a couple of years ago by Salem Drive School in Hanover . Gallagher noticed a number of dead tree limbs, some smaller dead trees and a number of stumps between the parking area and the play area.

It's the kind of thing that no one thinks about until there's a problem, he said, but tree folks like him know better. “A hazardous limb on a tree can track and fall anytime. It can really hurt an adult, and it can really, really hurt a child.”

He contacted the school superintendent and brought in some friends and together they removed the limbs and ground down the stumps. He thought he was just doing a nice thing for his town. Turns out, he was on the verge of something bigger.

He partnered with Florham Park Mayor Scott Eveland and Rick Close, district manager of the Morris Plains-based Davey Tree Expert Co., and together they grew the idea. On June 2 of last year, around 75 volunteers gathered at Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park to clean out an area by the baseball field.

“I never saw kids work that hard,” he said. They cleared brush, hauled trash, raked leaves – anything they were asked to do.

“Sometimes, you think that today's kids don't do anything. And then sometimes you get hit on the head with a magic wand, and it's like, ‘Wow. This is awesome.'”

Eveland, a former school board member in town, estimates the volunteer effort saved the school district between $11,000 and $15,000. But, he said, “the most important aspect to me is having kids invest in their school. If they spend the whole day over there, they'll think twice about throwing that soda can on the ground. It's about giving them ownership.”

Next Saturday, the volunteer effort will move to the area between Brooklake and Briarwood schools in Florham Park . Five tree companies are coming together to help out, Gallagher said. “We're pruning a couple hundred feet of pathways, play areas. We're removing hazardous trees, we're grinding all the stumps, we're planting new trees in appropriate spots.”

It will be a true community event, both Eveland and Gallagher said. The school superintendent will be there alongside the kids. Town public works employees and school custodians are coming in on their own time. And Acting Police Chief Patrick Montuore will be acting as chief cook, serving up hot dogs and hamburgers for all the volunteers.

News of the “One Day, One School ” efforts were publicized after an article came out in a tree industry magazine, and since then, Gallagher has gotten lots of interest from around the country. He's working now on getting more national sponsors and writing guidelines for similar events throughout the country.

VOLUNTEERS SPRUCE UP FLORHAM PARK SCHOOLS

Community volunteers will come together on April 5 to make the school grounds at Briarwood and Brooklake elementary schools in Florham Park safer and cleaner, at no cost to the district. With the One Day One School program, the schools will benefit from an environmental makeover, as tree professionals, town leaders and students donate their equipment, services and time.

Inspired by Tom “Ace” Gallagher of Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding Service of Whippany, the idea of One Day One School began when he noticed dead branches hanging over a school path as he walked his son to school. He volunteered his company's services to fix the potential hazard. In 2007, Gallagher partnered with Scott Eveland, now mayor of Florham Park , and Rick Close, district manager of the Morris Plains office of the Davey Tree Expert Company, to organize and launch a full-fledged community service project. In addition to Gallagher's and Close's companies, All-American Tree Company of Whippany, Woodland Tree Company of Florham Park, Honor Tree Company of Madison, and Ironwood Tree Service of Florham Park have agreed to donate their services on April 5.

Dr. William Ronzitti, Superintendent of Florham Park Public Schools, and Acting Police Chief Patrick Montuore will grill hot dogs and hamburgers for the volunteers. Whole Foods of Madison is donating all the food and beverages for the day.

TEAMWORK SATURDAY TO SPRUCE UP SCHOOLS

Florham Park – Community volunteers will come together Saturday, April 5, to make the school grounds at the Briarwood and Brooklake elementary schools in Florham Park safer and cleaner, at no cost to the district.

With the “One Day, One School ” program, the schools will benefit from an environmental makeover, as tree professionals, town leaders and students donate their equipment, services and time.

Inspired by Thomas “Ace” Gallagher of the Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding Service of Hanover Township, the idea of “ One Day One School ” began when he noticed dead branches hanging over a school path as he walked his son to school. He volunteered his company's services to fix the potential hazard. In 2007, Gallagher partnered with then-Councilman Scott Eveland, now mayor of Florham Park , and Rick Close, district manager of the Morris Plains office of the Davey Tree Expert Company, to launch a full-fledged community service project in Florham Park , with a cleanup of the Ridgedale Middle School grounds last June.

“This is an amazing community effort. I believe if everybody gives a little bit of their time, it makes a really big difference,” said Gallagher. “This program makes a school better-looking and much safer, and safety is our biggest concern.”

Community Team

On April 5, Florham Park Superintendent of Schools William Ronzitti and Acting Police Chief Patrick Montuore will grill hot dogs and hamburgers for volunteers. Whole Foods of Madison is donating all the food and beverages for the day.

In addition to Gallagher's and Close's companies, All-American Tree Company of Hanover Township, Woodland Tree Company of Florham Park, Honor Tree Company of Madison, and Ironwood Tree Service of Florham Park are donating their services to work for the day.

“This is a tremendous way to clean up the school with some necessary work that doesn't cost our taxpayers a dime,” said Eveland. Organizers noted the improvements made in “One Day One School” can be beyond the means of a school budget, and offer an opportunity for team work and community involvement.

Students Work and Learn

Student volunteers will rake and clean up the grounds after the crews clean away the trees. Students will then plant new trees and shrubs, native to the area, under the guidance of Blaine Rothauser, chairman of the Florham Park Environmental Commission. The restoration component to the day's activities will, over time, increase biodiversity while simultaneously educating students about forest ecology. In addition to a civics lesson, the event will give students a better understanding of the environmental balance of their surroundings.

The program is expanding throughout the country, with a “ One Day One School ' event taking place in Montana this month. Eveland, Gallagher, and Close, along with New Jersey state foresters and the Tree Care Industry Association, are developing a written program that can be used as a resource by other communities and tree care companies, and said they hope their efforts will energize volunteerism nationwide.

Last year, with Eveland's leadership in organizing more than 75 volunteers from the schools and borough departments, the program successfully cleared an area near the Ridgedale Middle School ball field. The eight-hour cleanup involved safety pruning of nearly 40 trees and stump grinding of 15 to 20 trees that were removed completely, totaling an estimated donation of $10,000 to $15,000 in labor and equipment costs.

“One Day One School” will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Briarwood and Brooklake school grounds off Brooklake Road .

SCHOOL CLEANUP TEACHES CIVICS, ENVIRONMENTALISM

Florham Park – Now in its second year, locally originated “One Day, One School ” volunteer school grounds cleanup program has expanded with more tree professionals – and an added aspect of environmental education.

“It really exemplifies the strong volunteer spirit we have in this community,” said Mayor Scott Eveland, who popularized the “One Day, One School ” program he developed along with tree contractors Thomas “Ace” Gallagher and Rick Close.

At no cost to the school district, around 100 volunteers performed an estimated $50,000 worth of needed tree work and outdoor cleaning on several acres between the adjacent Brooklake and Briarwood elementary schools off Brooklake Road in Florham Park on Saturday, April 19.

“To tap into that community pride for the benefit of the schools is so tremendous,” the mayor said.

“This year, ‘One Day, One School ' was brought up to a new level.”

In addition to the project originator Gallagher, who operates Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding of Florham Park, and his program collaborator Close, manager of the Davey Tree Company of Morris Plains , the professional tree surgeons working at the schools this year also included the Woodland Tree Company, the Honor Tree Company and the All-American Tree Company, all of Madison .

Generous Contractors

“I give a lot of credit to the tree service professionals who spent a beautiful Saturday, when they could have been out making money instead of giving their time to improve our community,” said Eveland.

Florham Park Environmental Commission President Blaine Rothauser added a new element of environmental education to the program this year. He pointed out to student volunteers at the cleanup examples of the native species of plants and animals in the woods near the school, and explained how they relate to the ecosystem.

Rothauser and Environmental Commission member Cliff Schaeffer also filled in a ditch near the schoolyard and planted it with native species, which were covered with poultry wire to deter deer from eating them, noted Florham Park Superintendent of Schools William Ronzitti.

Eveland and Environmental Commission members Laurie Iandorio, Carmen Pane and Scott Carpenter also aided the cleanup effort.

“It exemplified what Florham Park is all about,” Ronzitti said of the school volunteers. “Everyone was working so hard, and when the kids see that, they work hard, too.”

Student Volunteers

Some two to three dozen children worked to clean up the school grounds and adjacent woodlands. After the tree professionals cut dead limbs and trees, the timber was chopped up into wood chips the students spread to provide a safer play area.

Eveland said he thought the young volunteers benefited from the environmental lessons provided by Rothauser, as well as the civic lessons provided by the adult volunteers. The mayor observed the young people worked enthusiastically and without prodding.

Florham Park Hardware donated rakes, gloves, and goggles for the volunteers to use in the cleanup, while Whole Foods of Madison donated food and refreshments.

The Whole Foods supermarket chain will distribute information about the “One Day, One School ” project to its 260 stores around the U.S. , according to Gallagher.

“By Arbor Day, on May 17, we want to put together a playbook, or template, for ‘One Day, One School ,' so a similar project can be done for any school district that inquires about it,” Gallagher said Monday, April 28.

“Tree Care Industry magazine wrote about ‘One Day, One School' in Florham Park in its December 2007 issue, which has helped to spur Rick Close to create the template,” Gallagher said.

The Florham Park Department of Community Services provided dump trucks and a backhoe to aid in the cleanup. Gallagher praised borough officials Carl Ganger and Frank Esposito for their hard work and assistance.

Popular Additions

Eveland said the addition of several birdhouses, contributed by the Brooklake Country Club of Florham Park, proved to be popular with some recent arrivals to the school grounds.

“Amazingly, within 30 minutes of the birdhouses being installed, we noticed some birds building a nest in one of the birdhouses,” the mayor said.

In addition to Ronzitti who manned a barbeque grill to provide food for volunteers along with Florham Park Acting Police Chief Patrick Montuore and volunteer Rocco Scaniello, other school officials worked on the project.

They included schools Business Administrator John Csatlos, employees Steven Haynes, Philip Infantalino and Andrew Bassolino, Brooklake School Principal Susan Tietjen, teachers Charles Murray, Kate Ruppell, Shawn Hawkins and Joseph Chirzallo, and Board of Education President John MacFarlane.

“Mayor Eveland never stopped; neither did Councilman Mark Taylor,” Ronzitti remarked. “Nobody ever works harder than the boss.”

The school superintendent said the tree professionals made the schools' grounds a safer place for children and school neighbors, by removing potentially dangerous dead limbs and trees. He said the tree removal work would have cost the district $800 to $1,400 per tree, which the district could not afford.

Organizers added the big turnout for the event was a happy surprise, since the cleanup had been rained out the previous two Saturdays in a row.

ONE DAY ONE SCHOOL PROGRAM PLANNED

On Tuesday, March 11, the Townsend Tree Board is sponsoring a One Day One School Program at Townsend School District #1. Plans are to remove the four large Siberian elms on the east side of the high school on Cedar Street, grind the stumps, level the boulevard, put in a sprinkler system, and sod the boulevard – all in one day!

Tree Board Member, Jim Edelblut, a Tree Board member and owner of Pruning Plus, saw an article in Tree Care Industry magazine about the One Day One School Program. He approached the Tree Board and said “Let's do this in Townsend”.

The One Day One School Program was started in Whippany , New Jersey by Ace Gallagher of Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding Services. He observed hazardous trees lining a path while walking his son to school. He called his tree pruning and removal friends in the area and they gathered at the school and cleaned up the area in one day. The Townsend One Day One School Program will be the first One Day One School Program in the western US.

Jim Edelblut of Pruning Plus, Bill Amsk from Green Tree, The City of Townsend Maintenance Crew, Glenn Reynolds of Northwest Tree Service of Stevensville, Patrick Plantenberg of Plants Etc, and Don Walters of Irrigation Parts House have agreed to donate their equipment and time to complete the project. Other contributors include Watson's Irrigation Specialist, Inc. Clint Watson's Technology Education class will also be helping. Other volunteers include Ron Cheever, Tom Helm, John Stoner, Daryl Blumhagen, members of the Tree Board, Rotary Club, Broadwater County Development Center , and the School District janitorial staff.

The One Day One School Program will save the City and School District almost $7,000. Five new trees will be planted on the boulevard on April 24, Arbor Day as part of the Tree Board Arbor Day activities.

The Tree Board regrets that the second block of Cedar Street from 2 nd to 3 rd Street will be closed from Monday evening, March 10 th , until the large trees are removed and the debris cleaned up. The project will start at 8 am and last until 6 pm. If anyone else would like to contribute or help with the project, please contact Patrick Plantenberg at 266-5265.

VOLUNTEERS TO CLEAN UP TREES, GROUNDS AT FLORHAM PARK 'S ‘ONE DAY, ONE SCHOOL ' 

Community volunteers will come together on Saturday, April 5 to make the school grounds at Briarwood and Brooklake Elementary Schools in Florham Park safer and cleaner, at no cost to the district.

With the One Day, One School program, the schools will benefit from an environmental make-over, as tree professionals, town leaders and students donate their equipment, services and time.

Inspired by Tom “Ace” Gallagher of Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding Service of Whippany, the idea of One Day, One School began when he noticed dead branches hanging over a school path as he walked his son to school.

He volunteered his company's services to fix the potential hazard. In 2007, Gallagher partnered with Scott Eveland, now mayor of Florham Park and Rick Close, district manager of the Morris Plains office of The Davey Tree Expert Company, to organize and launch a full-fledged community service project.

“This is an amazing community effort. I believe if everyone gives a little bit of their time it makes a really big difference,” said Gallagher. “This program makes a school better looking and much safer, and safety is our biggest concern,” he adds.

In true community spirit, Dr. William Ronzitti, Superintendent of Florham Park Public Schools, and Acting Police Chief Patrick Montuore will grill hot dogs and hamburgers for the volunteers.

Whole Foods of Madison is donating all the food and beverages for the day.

In addition to Gallagher's and Close's companies, All-American Tree Company of Whippany, Woodland Tree Company of Florham Park, Honor Tree Company of Madison, and Ironwood Tree Service of Florham Park have agreed to donate their services and perform the work for the day.

“This is a tremendous way to clean up the school with some necessary work that doesn't cost our taxpayers a dime,” said Eveland.

Organizers explain that this type of work may not be allocated in a school's budget so One Day One School is a terrific solution to get it done and bring everybody together as a team to make a visible improvement.

Student volunteers will rake and clean up the grounds after the crews clear away the trees. Students will then plant new trees and shrubs, native to the area, under the guidance of environmentalist Blain Rothauser, of BR Environmental, LLC, and president of Florham Park 's Environmental Commission.

This restoration component to the day's activities will, over time, increase biodiversity while simultaneously educating students regarding forest ecology.

In addition to a civics lesson, the event will give students a better understanding of the environmental balance of their surroundings.

The program is expanding throughout the country, with a One Day One School event taking place in Montana this month.

Eveland, Gallagher, and Close, along with New Jersey state foresters and Tree Care Industry Association, are developing a written program that can be used as a resource by other communities and tree care companies and hope their efforts will energize volunteerism nationwide.

Last year, with Eveland's leadership in organizing more than 75 volunteers from the schools and borough departments, the program successfully cleared an area near the ball field of Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park .

The eight-hour clean-up involved safety pruning of nearly 40 trees and stump grinding of 15 to 20 trees that were removed completely, totaling an estimated $10,00 to $15,000 in labor and equipment costs.

One Day, One School will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Briarwood and Brooklake school grounds in Florham Park .

For more information contact Ace Gallagher at (973) 428-1102.

 

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