Northwest crew builds tree guards for Maryville square

Tree Guards

James Teaney, left, and Dallas Raasch install a
tree guard on Market Street across the street from
the Nodaway County Courthouse in downtown Maryville.

A cooperative effort between the Campaign for Community Renewal and the Northwest Missouri State University steam plant crew has resulted in the planting of four new ornamental trees along the new Market Street sidewalk in downtown Maryville.

After the new sidewalk, across the street to the east of the Nodaway County Courthouse, was completed several months ago, the original trees died, possibly as the result of vandalism. Replacing the trees was not a problem, but protecting them with attractively designed commercial iron guards would have cost well over $2,000.

That’s when Steam Plant Supervisor James Teaney and his team stepped up. Using stock metal purchased by the Campaign for Community Renewal for about $200, Teaney and his crew constructed the guards then installed them this week.

Steam plant staff involved in the project included Dallas Raasch, George Spire and Mike Stegall. Northwest Ornamental Landscape Specialist Syd Weybrew planted the replacement trees -- two honey locusts and two Ginkgo bilobas -- as the 5-foot-tall, flat-barred guards were set into place.

Northwest first lady Aleta Hubbard has played a major role in organizing the Campaign for Community Renewal’s courthouse square streetscape project, a continuing $2.64 million effort being funded through a state grant and private donations. Hubbard recently stepped down from the committee, and her role has been assumed by local banker Jim Blackford, immediate past president of the Northwest Alumni Association.

So far, the campaign has overseen $1.9 million in sidewalk and landscaping improvements on the square. Remaining streetscape work embraced by the project includes the west corners at Third and Main and Fourth and Main (Phase II) and the storefront sidewalks along Main, Third and Fourth streets (Phase III).

The city of Maryville is currently seeking design approval in anticipation of letting bids for Phase II, which has an anticipated cost of $312,000 and should be complete during the 2009 construction cycle. Efforts continue to secure funding for Phase III, the final portion of the project.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1704
Fax: 660.562.1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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