Washington town has novel idea for preserving trees

A former Indianola and McCook resident has been keeping track of the Norris Park tree controversy over the Gazette's Web site and thinks an idea that caught on in her current hometown in Washington might have some merit here.

It's the classic case of "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Or perhaps it's an example of "having your cake and eating it, too."

In any event, residents of Richland, Wash., have something left to remind them of the stately old trees that are being removed from their Amon Park.

"One of the local parks is having the same problem with trees that have lived their lives, and the Public Works Department here found a novel way to save the trees in a small way that also adds beauty to the community," the former Southwest Nebraska resident, Mary Bears, wrote in an e-mail to the editor.

Rather than saw all of the old maple and black walnut trees at the ground, a few of them are being turned into works of art commemorating the city's pioneer past.

According to the local newspaper, the Tri-City Herald, the artists, Spirit Brothers Chainsaw Art, are turning at least one of them in a sort of "totem pole" or "history pole" depicting people and moments from 1805 to 1939. They include a water wheel, a steamship captain, Capt. Meriwether Lewis of the Corps of Discovery and a native chief he befriended, gold miners and farmers.

Are there any chainsaw artists around who might like to take on such a project? We don't know, but we do know there would be plenty of subjects for wooden sculptures in Norris Park.

George W. Norris is already immortalized in bronze across the street on the lawn of his home, but how about other governors of Governor's Square? Could Ben Nelson, Frank Morrison and Ralph Brooks be depicted in hackberry or linden?

How about the fighting McCooks? What about Blind Sam the fiddler, Ray Search the historian or Buffalo Jones the preservationist? The Gazette would naturally like to see Harry Strunk depicted in the park, and why not Col. Sutton or football star Jeff Kinney?

Like the Washington project, the tree carvings could predict events like the coming of the railroad or the World War II Army Air Base.

It could be as big or as small a project as anyone would like to take on. The only restriction is time -- if someone would like to take it on, they need to decide what they would like to do, and persuade the city to leave the appropriate tall stumps in place.

For inspiration, you can view photos and video, and read the story on the Tri-/City Herald's Web site, at http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/108859.html