$5,000 Grant Brings Roses Back To Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow is taking steps to get back to its roots and become more beautiful at the same time.

The Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful initiative won a $5,000 grant to clean up the streets. The city is planting dozens of rose bushes across town.

The choice of roses was an obvious one.

"Broken Arrow was the City of Roses in the '20s, '30s, and '40s, and we're so happy to have it back again," said Peggy Strigel, chairman of the Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful board. "There used to be a sign over main street, and I have a picture of it, that, tThis is the city of roses and beautiful fresh spring water.' The spring water is gone, but the roses can come back."

Monday's planting at the corner of South Elm and Kenosha was the first of at least three.

They get four if the budget can stretch. The rest of the budget will go to education programs, encouraging residents to plant roses in their own gardens.