Buckhannon mayor David McCauley wished city horticulturist Rob Barbor farewell on Friday, renaming the city ‘Barbortown’ for the day in honor of the man who helped make Buckhannon the ‘City of Flowers.’

McCauley noted the many expansions of the city’s flower beautification program during Barbor’s seven-year tenure.

“Barbor and his talented support crew have accomplished all of these expansions while utilizing the most green an sustainable practices and being excellent stewards of our environment by hand-weeding, use of natural herbicides, promotion of bee and butterfly proliferation, and adoption of best watering practices,” McCauley notes in his official proclamation, which reads in full:

MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Buckhannon has long enjoyed the finest horticulture & landscaping program in all of West Virginia thanks primarily due to the series of talented, engaged professionals including Bob Braine, Donnie Tenney, & Rob Barbor; and, 

WHEREAS, our City’s most recent horticulturist, Rob Barbor, is concluding his seven year tenure with Buckhannon on Friday, July 26, 2019; and,

WHEREAS, during Rob Barbor’s years of service with our City, our community’s horticulture & landscape programs were greatly expanded with many new landscape bays being realized along the Poundstone Memorial River Walk Trail such as the Poundstone-Ellis Legacies’ Plaza, the transplanting of lilies at our Dog Park, more plantings throughout our parks & particularly Jawbone Park, around our City’s Public Safety Complex, the Ameriprise corner, the Stockert Youth & Community Center, the Route 20 North & South flower installations, the North Buckhannon Riverfront Park’s fruit orchard, & the introduction of the pollinator program through establishing wild flower sites throughout Buckhannon; and,

WHEREAS, Rob Barbor & his talented support crew have accomplished all of these expansions while utilizing the most green & sustainable practices & being excellent stewards of our environment by hand-weeding, use of natural herbicides, promotion of bee & butterfly proliferation, & adoption of best watering practices; and,

WHEREAS, the City of Buckhannon now desires to appropriately recognize Rob Barbor for his many contributions in making our community beautiful & distinctive.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID W. McCAULEY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF BUCKHANNON, pursuant to the power maybe vested in me, do hereby proclaim that our City formerly known as Buckhannon shall be renamed and known on Friday, July 26, 2019 as “Barbortown.”  I urge all residents of Barbortown & Upshur County to join me, our City Council and all City employees, in expressing their fondest farewells to Rob Barbor while extending to him our heartfelt thanks for all that Rob Barbor has accomplished for our community, & wishing him all of our very best during his next professional endeavors.  Residents are encouraged to visit City Hall & sign the farewell banner thanking Rob Barbor for his many installations of beauty & sustainability throughout our City.

Given under my hand & the official seal of “Barbortown” aka Buckhannon, WV this 26th day of July, 2019 — David W. McCauley, Mayor