One of the many planters on Smith Street Business District provided by the UEZ/BID *Photo by Carolyn Maxwell

Recently, there have been many trees cut down in Perth Amboy. Many of theses trees are old Sycamore Trees which have grown and uprooted sidewalks. Their branches also interfere with power lines causing safety hazards. Although these trees had to be cut down, it leaves a barren feeling on the street. On many of these streets, the sun beats down and subsequently it’s very hot there.

How often when a new resident buys a house, the first thing they do is pull out all the flowers, cut all the bushes and  small trees causing urban blight.

Why does the City have any rules about replacing trees when they are cut down. There are many species of trees that are not obtrusive and do not grow to an enormous size yet they are beautiful and green. These trees can be easily planted and maintained.

Many people do not clean their yards up nor do they sweep in front of their house.

Until the ordinances in effect are enforced, this will continue.

While some work at it to make the City look ugly, others work to beautify the City.

One such individual who helps beautify the City is a woman named Rose who belongs to the Royal Garden Club. I often see her planting flowers at the Ferry Slip and the curbs by the Boat Basin and other parts of Perth Amboy. She’s always tending the gardens.

The Royal Garden Club plants and maintains many of City’s Gardens. The Girl Scouts planted an herb garden at the Kearny Cottage. The City has placed planters all along Smith Street provided by the UEZ/BID. These gardens are maintained and are bright spots in the City.

Many residents and landowners in Perth Amboy have private gardens. They also keep their properties in order.

It has to be a combination of cooperation of the residents and the enforcement of ordinances by the City. The choice is you can have a beautiful City or urban blight.

It has been said by the Native Americans: At the Creation of the Earth, The Great Spirit gave out four gifts: To the bear he gave the gift of smell; to the eagle he gave the gift of sight and the deer got the gift of hearing. It has been said that if a feather fell to the earth the bear would smell it; the eagle would see it and the deer would hear it. But to man, he gave the greatest gift of all, the power to preserve the earth. K.M.