RPU Plans Arbor Day Event at New Rochester Location

The City of Rochester and Rochester Public Utilities will host another Arbor Day celebration next week.

RPU General Manager Tim McCollough says the municipal utility has participated in the community's Arbor Day celebration for nearly 25 years. He discussed the plans for this year's event and the reasons why trees and urban forest management are important to RPU during his monthly appearance on Rochester Today with Andy Brownell on News-Talk 1340 KROC-AM and 96.9 FM.

Click on the link below to listen to the entire interview.

New Location This Year

Rochester's Arbor Day celebration will take place on April 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at McQuillan Field Park. Weather permitting, this will be the first time the event has been held at the southeast Rochester location. In the event of rain, the festivities will be moved to the Fieldhouse at the RCTC campus.

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Family Friendly Event

McCollough describes the family-friendly gathering as a mix of carnival-style activities and educational events. He says it will feature food, tree plantings, tree giveaways, and entertainment. The educational offerings will include information on how to properly plant a tree, what type of tree to plant, and the importance of calling 811 before digging.

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Importance of Calling 811 Before You Dig

McCollough says digging into the soil is among the top five causes of electric outages. While the risk is higher when heavy equipment is involved, cutting into a power line or other utility connections can also occur when people dig holes for trees, fence posts, deck posts, and even during landscaping and gardening.

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Such mishaps can be costly and life-threatening. McCollough says a simple call to 811 will dispatch crews to mark, with temporary paint and flags, the locations of any underground cables, pipes, and other infrastructure in the areas where digging is planned, typically within 72 hours.

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