Creative Gardens host organizing women vets memorial art contest

SAUGUS – Chet Stentiford, the host of Creative Gardens, is holding an art and poster contest for a women?s memorial tree planting on Memorial Day.The contest is open to all Saugus children from grades one through four who can submit their artwork to be used in an announcement poster for the tree planting.Stentiford said these posters will help raise awareness of the “sacrifice the women from Saugus” have given their country.Five finalists will be selected to have their posters displayed at various locations throughout Saugus.?The idea of introducing a contest has a number of purposes,” said Stentiford. “First was to involve the children of Saugus in participating in an historical event in town, commemorating the town?s women veterans in a memorial tree dedication at Veterans Park. Second was to serve as a bond between the children and their community in publicizing a significant event in town that will become a living monument to women veterans that will live on for many years, long after many of us are long gone.”Stentiford said the idea for a tree dedication started last year from an episode of Creative Gardens on Saugus Cable Television in which he discussed proper planting methods for trees and shrubs.?Since the program was planned for May and Memorial Day comes at the same time, I felt it would be a good idea to plan a Memorial Day dedication to veterans of Saugus,” he said.Stentiford said “many local organizations and businesses” are already on board to donate money. In early March, Stentiford said he will be taking the women?s memorial tree fund public and said he hopes to expand the tree planting into a larger garden “memorializing the women veterans here in Saugus.”The posters must be done free hand and incorporate the theme of the tree planting, and must be submitted by 4 p.m. on March 20. Submissions should be sent to the Saugus Senior Center, Director?s Office, 466 Central St., Saugus, MA 01906 or Peter Rossetti Insurance Agency, Inc. 436 Lincoln Ave., Saugus, MA 01906.Submission forms can be found at any of the Saugus elementary schools. For more information contact Chet Stentiford at 781-520-9821.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].