The Clinton Tree Commission will honor former Clinton Police Chief Mike Reidy with a memorial tree planted at the April 26 Arbor Day observance.
A Greenspire Linden tree will be planted at the Clinton Arboretum located at East Jefferson and Taylor Streets. The ceremony will start at 10 a.m. Reidy was Clinton’s police chief from 1993 to 2013. He passed away in April 2024 in Springfield where he lived after his retirement.
In case of rain, the ceremony will be held at Douglas Elementary School, 905 East Main Street.
In comments on the tree dedication for the former police chief, Tree Commission Chairman John Baker said, “Mike Reidy and his family were members of our community for many years. He served the department with honor and integrity. We are pleased to plant a tree in his honor as a symbol of our lasting gratitude for his service to Clinton.”
Arbor Day is celebrated in the U.S. and many other countries as a recognition of the importance of trees. The first Arbor Day in the U.S. originated in 1872 in Nebraska at the suggestion of J. Sterling Morton, a newspaper editor who served as President Grover Cleveland’s secretary of agriculture.
Clinton and other communities celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees and encouraging youth to learn about the importance of trees. Three Clinton 5th graders will be recognized at the April 15 Clinton City Council meeting for their prize-winning posters in the 2025 Tree Commission Arbor Day poster contest.