Former Borough Administrator Eileen Heinzel will be honored by Pennington officials on Saturday, June 7, when they dedicate the local arboretum in her honor.
Heinzel, who passed away in 2022, was key in spearheading efforts to establish the arboretum which is located at Toll Gate Grammar School in Pennington. With the arboretum’s completion on school grounds at 275 S. Main St. the dedication is set to unveil the arboretum as the Eileen M. Heinzel Memorial Arboretum.
On June 7, Pennington officials are officially dedicating the arboretum to Heinzel at Toll Gate in a dedication ceremony from 12-1 p.m. Those who plan to attend are asked to meet at the school’s front entrance on Curlis Avenue near the playground.
The afternoon dedication features tree planting, a walk through the arboretum, and the unveiling of the arboretum sign dedication as the Eileen M. Heinzel Memorial Arboretum.
Heinzel’s impact on the borough and accomplishments spanned closed to 20 years before she passed. Her service to Pennington included her time as borough administrator, as a longtime councilwoman, a planning board member and community volunteer.
She worked with the Hopewell Valley Regional School District (HVRSD) and Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) to establish the arboretum.
The arboretum is on more than two acres of land at Toll Gate. The botanical garden features trees and plants such as Silver Maple, American Elm, American Beech, Wild Black Cherry, Northern Catalpa, Pin Oak, Red Mulberry, White Ash, and Sassafras.
The project is based on a plan that was developed in April 2018 by Michael Van Clef, stewardship director of the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS), a non-profit organization that preserves land and protects natural resources.
