By Staff
A tree's not just a tree in Atmore
When hurricanes Ivan and Dennis rattled Atmore in late 2004 and the summer of 2005, the residents weren't the only ones who lost belongings.
Mother Nature, who over the years, took her time to give the friendly city its character and charm with beautiful oak trees older than most of the city's residents, a pleasant helping of luscious pine trees and several other species of trees that were easy on the eyes, suffered a great loss as well.
That was all taken away the days the storms hit. Ivan swept the area clean and Dennis just took what was left.
Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce director Emilie Mims said it best when she stated, "A single tree can define a neighborhood and we lost a lot of those and that sense of identity in certain communities."
Everyone in town has heard that same comment while shopping at the local grocery store, especially after the vicious storms. And it's true.
Monday, workers with Dixon Landscaping will begin planting 500 trees that will help replace fallen trees and spruce up the area. Not only will the beauty of Atmore be revived, but so will the spirits of its residents, especially the older generations, who remember soaring into the air on the tire swing tied to the old oak in the backyard.
Even though only 250 were awarded to residents on a first-come-first-serve basis, this is a good time for everyone in Atmore to spring for seedling, just in time for Spring.