Garden club honors charter members

By Staff
Melissa Cason, Franklin County Times
RED BAY – The Red Bay Garden Club held a special event Wednesday afternoon to honor the charter members with a special tree dedication to coincide with Arbor Day.
The club celebrates its 70th birthday this year and has had a major impact of the town's beautification.
Their hard work in the first half of the century earned the city the title "Tree City USA."
Former Mayor Billy Bolton said Red Bay was the first town in North Alabama to earn that distinction.
The Garden Club's first major project was the planting of 100 oak trees on Main Street.
The trees have since grown and matured to form the "Tunnel of Trees" that welcome visitors entering the city from the north.
"Even today I have people who are traveling through our area stop by my house and ask about the trees that line Main Street," Red Bay resident Doris Cole said.
A Crape Myrtle tree was dedicated in honor of the charter members of the club, and will be planted on Main Street near the Tunnel of Trees.
"This particular variety of Crape Myrtle is called 'Dynamite' for its red blossoms," Rosalyn Fiabanke said during the dedication Wednesday.
After the tree was dedicated, Mayor Jeff Reid and Bolton, along with family and friends of charter members, placed soil at the roots of the tree.
After the tree was dedicated, audience members gathered in the parlor for the refreshments and cake.