You may have noticed that the recent windstorm created serious carnage along Legion Way. Carnage among the trees, that is.
A dozen of the stately old trees (among 123 that were originally planted as living memorials to veterans) were so damaged by the snow, ice, and wind that the city has been forced to cut them down. This is in addition to several trees previously slated for removal.
It’s important to note the real culprit here: topping. “Topping” refers to pruning back a tree by simply cutting off the top. In the 1970s, city and power company officials decided that topping these trees was the easiest way to keep them away from electric power lines. So they just chopped them into roughly 25-foot high stumps. The result, 40 years later, is ugly, weakened, misshapen trees prone to early death from insects, disease, or – in this case – weather.
Thankfully, the city doesn’t top trees on public property anymore. And it discourages anyone from topping trees on private property.
Don’t do it, people! It’s bad for trees! And it’s ugly, too. And it can be dangerous both to property and to people.
Meanwhile, city officials and Legion Way residents report a minor feeding frenzy among people trying to claim the leftover hardwood, prized for both firewood and carving. One city staffer described a moment when it seemed competitors might come to blows with chainsaws. A brief but complete play-by-play of the Legion Way Wood War, from the point of view of a long-time resident of Legion, is available on OlyBlog.net.
To calm things down, the city removed all the wood for safekeeping, and will figure out what to do with it later.
It’s a shame that the city government and residents can’t figure out a way to let folks who want the wood do the work – it should be a win-win situation, with the roads cleared more quickly, the wood disposed of, and much-needed city monies spared.
Proving once again, it only takes a guy with a chainsaw to ruin it for everyone. ◙