Two principals remembered with tree planting at Blackmon Road Middle School

Two late principals were remembered Saturday as more than 50 officers from Fort Benning joined students of Blackmon Road Middle School and the Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission to plant 22 trees on the campus in Midland.

Two dogwoods trees were planted in front of the school in memory of Marie DeRamus, the first principal of Blackmon Road, and John “Pepper” Spurlock Jr., the past assistant principal of East Columbus Magnet Academy. Volunteers also planted 20 oak trees along the fence of the school’s athletic field as part of a community service project for the 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations, said Ava Dixon of Keep Columbus Beautiful.

Eliu McMoore, an eighth-grader at Blackmon Road , wanted to be part of the planting to remember Spurlock who was more than a neighbor living across the street.

“He was a father figure to me,” said Eliu who attended school with Spurlock’s son. “He was like always there for me. We were really close.”

Dixon said the event came together after a Fort Benning official called Trees Columbus about a service project for the 2nd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment in the 19-week Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course. During the King celebrations, Dixon said the organization usually does two events but only had one tree planting at Mercy Med on Second Avenue.

“This is going to be our school tree planting for the Martin Luther King Jr. service,” Dixon said.

2nd Lt. Roman Burke of St. George, Utah, said service is what it means to be an officer. “Part of what it means to do that is to come and help our community,” he said. “Most of us are from all over the country but this is still our community while we are here.”

Rick Dorer, a four-year volunteer canopy keeper for Trees Columbus, kept a close eye on every tree planted into the ground. The height, depth and making sure every tree is straight are important when planting trees, he said.

“Look at this one, see the lean on it,” Dorer said to a team planting an oak tree. “We want it to be straight. You have to put a little more soil to get it level. People drive by and the first thing they will notice is how crooked that tree is. “

Trees are important for the environment. Some have a short life span of 30 to 40 years while others may live for thousands of years, he said.

Dixon said the next tree planting will be for Arbor Day next month.

This story was originally published January 27, 2018 at 12:58 PM with the headline "Two principals remembered with tree planting at Blackmon Road Middle School."