Vets Get Back to Their Roots, Bring Roots Back to Oswego

Bridge Street is typically known for its nightlife. But, two Oswego residents are bringing some daylight-inclined life back to the street.

Tom Galloway ’58 remembers when Oswego’s main street was lined with brilliant, blooming trees. He got the idea to bring back the trees while visiting Skaneateles.

“Twice a year we go to Skaneateles … it draws thousands of tourists and I was admiring the trees. Bridge Street used to look like that when I was younger,” Galloway recalls. “It kept dwelling on my mind for years until I thought ‘Who could help me with this idea?’”

Galloway thought of his longtime friend Bill McCarthy. Galloway, who was raised on the west side of Oswego, and McCarthy, who grew up on the east side, have known each other since grade school. “He was an administrative assistant to Mayor William Cahill and he’s a veterans' advocate, so he knows tons of people.”

The pair approached the Department of Public Works and the Common Council for approval of their idea. After a conversation with Mayor Randolph Bateman, Galloway and McCarthy decided to make blooming cherry trees the tree of choice for their new program, formally named Trees for Vets.
 

Galloway and McCarthy will plant trees along Bridge Street in an effort to rejuvenate the city to how it looked when they were young men living in Oswego. They both joined the service during the Korean War.

“Back then patriotism was huge,” McCarthy says.

The trees will be planted with a plaque engraved by Lupien Gifts & Engraving with the name of the serviceperson, their rank and dates of service.

Regardless of the program’s name, Galloway says that trees will not be planted for veterans exclusively. “Anyone in a family that wants to remember a family member or influential person” is encouraged to donate a tree in their honor as well.

Ontario Orchards, owned by Dennis and June Shaetell Oulette '79, is handling orders and supplying the trees for the program. The Department of Public Works will conduct all plantings because of their knowledge about the location of electric wires and underground pipes.

The first planting is scheduled for Arbor Day, which falls on April 30 this year. Approximately 25 trees have been ordered for that day, but Galloway hopes that as temperatures begin to climb and they start planting downtown the program will “catch on.”

In homage to their roots, Galloway will help plant the program’s first tree on his native west side and McCarthy put one in the ground on the east side.

The pair also hopes to schedule a planting on Veterans Day. A fellow alumna, June MacArthur ’08 is spearheading an initiative to have Oswego designated as a Tree City USA.