At Owensboro’s Rotary Club meeting Wednesday, members greeted passengers from the American Queen steamboat’s tour down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers before planting a tree to commemorate the occasion.
The partnership between the American Queen Steamboat Company, the City of Owensboro, and the Rotary Club led to the organizations planting a tree at English Park and flowers at Chautauqua Park.
Volunteers planted native wildflowers in the basins at Chautauqua, “which reduces the amount of rainfall entering the sewer system which will help prevent sewage from entering the Ohio River,” City Commissioner Jeff Sanford read from a proclamation.
Mayor Tom Watson declared Sept. 29, 2021, as Owensboro Rotary Club’s Save the River Day in Owensboro.
Gail Story, co-chair of the Rotary District 6710 RYLA, said that the International Rotary has always focused on ways to improve the local community, especially the environment. Story presented the Rotarians with a certificate of appreciation for completing the Rotary’s mission.
After leaving Owensboro, the Steamboat will continue its cruise on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers working to solve environmental issues that negatively affect the Ohio River.
County Commissioner Charlie Castlen said the projects the company is taking on are important to the communities not only for tourism but also for getting goods to and from the markets. Castlen said that the planting of the trees and other plants will keep debris out of the river.
“It’s an important thing for us to be doing because it drives home the importance of things that we can do individually to improve our environment,” Castlen said.
