SAN FERNANDO : Man’s Birthday Gift Goes to Community

On Ed Montan’s birthday, three members of the Las Palmas Senior Club burst into the office where Montan works as director of San Fernando’s Department of Recreation and Community Services and presented him with a $100 bill--and a problem.

As a city official, Montan could not accept the C-note--no matter how appreciative he was of the gesture. So, with the senior group’s permission, he turned the greenback into greenery the whole city can enjoy, using the money to purchase a sapling to be planted in Las Palmas Park.

Today, the city will conduct a tree planting at Las Palmas Park to celebrate Arbor Day. Montan, the senior club and other tree donors, including Mayor Ray Ojeda, Jose Santana of San Fernando Jewelry and Loan, Mike Majers of Majers Liquor, Eduardo Palacios of Palacios Immigration, the San Fernando Garden Club and the San Fernando Woman’s Club will be honored at the 11 a.m. event.

The Woman’s Club donation was a last-minute gift of 10 saplings announced late Monday afternoon.

Ten donated trees have already been planted in the northern section of the 12-acre park, which is undergoing an improvement project to restore the area, once a hangout for gang members and the homeless. Trees donated so far include sycamores, jacarandas and California pepper trees.

“The idea of the tree-planting program is to put the trees in areas of the park where people can really benefit from them,” Montan said.

In addition to landscaping improvements and tree plantings, Phase I of the city’s park refurbishment includes building a new snack bar and storage room near the ball field. During the project’s second phase, new picnic facilities will be installed, and the third phase entails construction of a new recreation center, officials said.

For information on the city’s Plant-A-Tree program, call (818) 898-1290.