The Columbia Tree Society, the fundraising auxiliary for the Columbia Borough Shade Tree Commission, has begun its annual membership drive for 2023. Membership dues enable the Shade Tree Commission to purchase and maintain street trees in the borough.

Over the last 32 years, the Shade Tree Commission has planted approximately 940 trees in the community as well as maintaining street trees, and the organization has received the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA designation for 31 consecutive years. The Columbia Borough Shade Tree Commission strives to encourage street tree plantings as well as tree plantings in yards, parks, and public places, as trees retain large volumes of rainfall, thereby reducing and cleansing runoff. Other potential benefits of trees include increased property values, reduced air pollution, lower noise levels and lower heating and air-conditioning costs and increased resale values.

Serving as this year's honorary chair for the membership drive is Sandy Duncan. Sandy is the second of eight children born to Edward and Dorothea Reeves, and she grew up in the rural area of Columbia on Kinderhook Road. She was a member of the Hempfield High School Class of 1967 and was honored as the Outstanding Senior Girl Athlete at graduation. Sandy is the widow of Columbia native Charles Duncan and the mother of three Columbia High School graduates - Sonya, Charles Jr., and Randy. She has three grandchildren.

She is a Columbia community activist who strives to help make Columbia a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. Her past and present community activities and organizations include women's softball teams representing Kloidt's Flower Shoppe and Jay's Lounge in Columbia and Zinn's Diner in Ephrata. She was also a Penn Laurel Girl Scout Brownie leader, a Columbia Girl Scout district leader, president of the Columbia High School Band Booster Club, a Makle Park Ranger, a Columbia Juneteenth coordinator, a Columbia Democrats district leader, a Community Action Program board member, and a member of the Columbia Boys and Girls Club Advisory Board. She served on Columbia Borough Council for eight years and was also a president of that organization. She also served for four years with the Columbia Borough School District and returned later to serve again.

Sandy is a lifelong member of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Columbia and has served in the choirs, Sunday school, and vacation Bible school programs. Additionally, she is an honorably discharged U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam era and a retired administrative assistant at Wyeth Laboratories, now GlaxoSmithKline in Marietta.

Community members are invited to donate to the Tree Society, and memberships are available at various donation levels. Donors may purchase a Memorial Certificate for a deceased loved one, and the certificate will be presented to the donor in their loved one's name at the annual Arbor Day Observance on Friday, April 28, 2023. The ceremony will be held in Zion Hill Cemetery, located on the east side of the 500 block of North Fifth Street, Columbia. For more information about donating, call Bill Kloidt at 717-201-5134.

A copy of the Shade Tree Commission's annual report can be requested by writing to or stopping by the Columbia Tree Society, 308 Locust St., Columbia. The members of the Columbia Shade Tree Commission are Amy Evans, chair; Julie Lehmer, secretary; Amanda Hawn, treasurer; Jack Gamby; and Caroline McGrath. The Shade Tree Commission partners with the Columbia Park Rangers in maintaining street trees and park trees. For more information, contact a member of the Shade Tree Commission or call the Columbia Borough office at 717-684-2467.