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Memorial to freedom to grow at Town Hall

State Sen.Gale Candaras, Selectman Joseph Townshend and Girl Scout Troop # 20124 members Chloe Chapdelaine (left) and Grace Bond (right) shovel dirt onto the roots of the town's new Liberty Tree as Planning Board Clerk George Kingston (left rear), Director of Planning, Zoning and Conservation Robyn MacDonald (right rear) and other members of Troop 20124 (right rear) look on.
Reminder Publications photo by Debbie Gardner
By Debbie Gardner

PRIME Editor



East Longmeadow A piece of living history set down roots in town on Oct. 18.

Thanks to a donation from PeoplesBank and a grant acquired by Director of Planning, Zoning & Conservation Robyn MacDonald, East Longmeadow now has a ceremonial American Liberty Elm growing on the lawn of the Town Hall.

The tree, provided by the Elm Research Institute, is a living memorial to the historic moment in 1775 when Boston's Sons of Liberty met beneath an elm tree to protest the Stamp Act, the English Parliament's first attempt to exert serious rule over the colonies.

Since 1984, the Institute has provided 300,000 ceremonial elms to cities and towns across America.

"PeoplesBank is proud to bring this statement to town," said PeoplesBank's East Longmeadow Branch Manager Tiffany Raines during the opening remarks of the tree planting ceremony.

State Sen. Gale Candaras thanked PeoplesBank for the "wonderful gift" and MacDonald for "organizing the event and soliciting the funds" to secure the Liberty Tree and the bronze plaque commemorating its history.

She added that in the midst of today's uncertainties, the town was making a statement by "planting a tree dedicated to freedom and liberty."

Following the opening remarks, Selectman Joseph Townshend read the poem "The Liberty Tree," penned in 1775 by "Common Sense" author Thomas Paine. According to history, Paine was moved to write the poem by the growing unrest among colonial citizens, who often met under trees to protest various taxes imposed by the British Parliament.

Ceremonial planting of the East Longmeadow Liberty Tree was carried out by Candaras, Townshend and members of Girl Scout Troop 20124, including Megan Diefenderfer, Laurel Diefenderfer, Elizabeth Hall, Ashley Corcoran, Rachael Wood, Chloe Chapdelaine, Grace Bond and Meghan Shaw.

At the close of the ceremony, troop leader Shelly Hall presented Raines with a print of the Liberty Tree poem in recognition of PeoplesBank's contribution to the community.