County's Liberty Tree Project Kicks Off At Umatilla High School

    The Lake County Commission has kicked off a new Liberty Tree initiative, a project that will see trees planted on county school campuses to commemorate the country’s colonial founding and the symbolism the Liberty Tree has carried through the years.
   The first tree was planted at Umatilla High School on Friday, April 26, during a ceremony attended by city and county officials along with Umatilla High staff and students.
   The ceremony featured a keynote address from Stewart Dunaway of the Sons of the American Revolution, and other speakers included County Commission Chairman Kirby Smith, UHS Principal Brent Frazier, and Lake County Property Appraiser, who read a proclamation regarding the event. In addition, the Umatilla High School Band performed the Star Spangled Banner, and UHS Patriot Club member September Lanin led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
   The tree was planted near the UHS football stadium, with a plaque that stated “During the colonial period our renowned forefathers gathered under designated trees to sow the seeds of liberty. This symbol of American freedom and liberty is dedicated to the citizens of Lake County to bestow on its beholders a sense of duty to themselves, their country, and their posterity.” The plaque also contains a quote from early American patriot Thomas Paine: “Unmindful of names or distinctions they came, fo freemen like brothers agree, with one spirit endued, they one friendship pursued, and their temple was Liberty Tree.”
   “We are pleased to support this county initiative and encourage our students to learn more about the Liberty Tree history and its relevance to us today,” said Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay, who was among school system officials at the ceremony.
   The trees will be coming to other county campuses, and on Monday, April 29, a ceremony was held to mark the planting of a tree on the East Ridge High School campus in Clermont. Two other Liberty Trees have been planted on the county's main campus in Tavares, and yet another has been planted in Mount Dora.