They say a man can feel he has made his mark on this earth if he has done three things: father a child, write a book and plant a tree. Well, this week being Arbor Day Week, following close on the heels of Earth Day, is a good time to ponder that.
  
As we walk or drive around town these days we notice so many beautiful flowering trees, magnolias, cherry trees, pear trees etc. all abloom. On some streets they create a promenade of clouds.
  
We can recall how the late Steve Scharoff pushed for the planting of one such promenade on Merrick Avenue in Merrick. And Jay Pitti lobbied for one at the Merrick railroad station, winning the backing of  town Councilwoman Angie Cullin, our own local Mother Nature. Seaford has another such promenade due to the efforts of Legislators Dave Denenberg, Dennis Dunne and others.
  
When we fly over this area on a commercial airplane in summer, it seems covered in trees. But every day, it seems, we have fewer and fewer of them. If each of our readers makes the choice to plant a tree, even a small one, a generation from now this will still be a beautiful tree-graced community.
  
Trees help protect our homes from extremes of cold and heat from wind and sun. They help prevent erosion and oxygenate our air and clean it from pollution. They can also be strategically planted to prevent a car from missing a curve and landing in your living room.
   
Planting a tree makes sense on so many levels.

By Linda Toscano

Linda Toscano, publisher of L&M Publications, is also an award winning writer recognized on both the national and local levels.