By RUBY KEARCE
The DeFuniak Springs City Beautification & Tree Board met for its regular monthly meeting at City Hall on Thursday, April 6. The board decided to complete a tour of the suggested locations of a future dog park on Thursday, April 20, at 10 a.m. and meet at the amphitheater. The board then reviewed a submitted first draft of the art piece being commissioned for the train trestle on U.S. 331
The initial piece included “Greetings from DeFuniak Springs, FL” with the background of the lettering being a cloudy blue with oranges on either end of the words. Within the letters for DeFuniak Springs is the Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood, an aerial photo of Lake DeFuniak, and the train car. Board Member Tony Brunson asked if there was a possibility for a more enlarged to- scale visual of the piece. Board Chair Kim Wennerberg then stated that the dimensions of the trestle itself need to be taken in order for the artist to have a better understanding of how to lay everything out.
DeFuniak Springs Council Member Tony Vallee approached the board to suggest using photoshop to overlay the design over the bridge in order to understand the design in context. Then, once the design is decided on and the discussion of pricing starts, the dimensions can be determined.
Wennerberg asked Vallee for his professional opinion on the postcard look the board is trying to achieve with the design. Vallee replied that the landscape has recently been refreshed and DOT also came and cleaned up the area. Vallee then discussed a contract being released for bid for a second turning lane on U.S. 90 going onto U.S. 331.
The board then discussed the design itself, even considering incorporating the library. Wennerberg said that the images within the letters themselves need to be more cropped and clearer, and also expressed a desire to add more green to the image, such as trees and foliage. This led Board member Glenn Harrison to remind the board that DeFuniak Springs is a Tree USA city. Wennerberg suggested that an Oak Tree would be a nice addition that would represent DeFuniak Springs well.
Board member Mike Goodchild then approached the board to discuss tree planting and the annual Arbor Day ceremony at the Chautauqua Assembly. Goodchild expressed his appreciation to the city for purchasing trees and helping plant them at Chipley Park. Trees planted in the park include LongLeaf Pine, Oak Trees, Japanese Maple, and River Birch. Goodchild expressed a desire to keep an inventory on the newly planted trees when inventory software is acquired. .
Goodchild went on to inform the board that the plaque for the Arbor Day Tree planting has been ordered, and Mike Hill will be honored with a Nuttall Oak Tree. This is a long standing tradition of planting a tree on arbor day at the Chautauqua Assembly. Everyone will meet at the Chautauqua Building on Friday, April 14, at 12:30 p.m. and will walk to the location of the tree planting at 1 p.m..
Tony Vallee approached the board following the meeting to ask for a volunteer to appoint to a Citizen Advisory Council for Transportation Planning Organization. Vallee thinks that since the board covers trails and bike paths that it would be a good position for a member of the Beautification and Tree Board.