Newborn officials are on a mission to beautify their town, including replanting trees to replace those uprooted during April’s tornado and designing parks to be placed at town hall and the old schoolhouse.

 University of Georgia landscape architecture students are going to be designing the parks, and the public is invited to provide input at 7 p.m. Monday at Newborn Town Hall.

 Students participate in design charrettes in Covington annually through The Center for Community Preservation and Planning; Newborn has an agreement with The Center this semester, said Mayor Roger Sheridan.

"Working with newborn has been a joy. A beautiful community full of caring and motivated people," said Kay Lee, director of The Center. "The UGA students were at the city council meeting Monday and will be with citizens next week. Mayor Sheridan is a special person - and innovative as they come."

 The design and eventual building of the parks will be paid for with SPLOST funds; Newborn received $336,840 in 2011 SPLOST funds for recreation, transportation and renovation of the old schoolhouse.

 If the unused Norfolk Southern rail line were to ever be converted into a trail, Sheridan has said previously he would like to place a park in downtown Newborn along the trail. Despite Covington and Newton County’s governing bodies previously voting down a purchase, Sheridan has continued to stay in contact with Norfolk Southern. However, he said Tuesday that talks were currently dormant.

 Town officials planted several trees last week, and another 40 will be planted Feb. 11, as the town’s celebrates its own arbor day early.

 Free lunch and saplings will be provided at 11:20 a.m. at town hall. There will also be a children’s tree climb; arborists will rig up equipment to allow kids to climb a large tree by town hall with no danger of falling.