CHAPEL HILL - CHAPEL HILL -- To celebrate Arbor Day, the Town of Chapel Hill will hold a tree-planting ceremony at 1:15 p.m. Friday at the Town Operations Center, 6850 Millhouse Road.

During the ceremony, the town will receive its Tree City USA Award and a Growth Award for 2007 from the N.C. Division of Forest Resources. Chapel Hill Town Council Members Jim Ward and Ed Harrison will be present to receive the award and to read the Arbor Day Proclamation. Students from Morris Grove Elementary School also will participate in the Arbor Day celebration and tree planting.

A black gum or black tupelo tree will be planted during this year's ceremony.

This is the ninth year that Chapel Hill has received national recognition as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation. 2007 was the fourth time in 9 years that the town achieved additional recognition for its urban forestry program and was honored with a Growth Award as a supplement to the Tree City USA certification.