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McCook Gazette
Letter to the Editor

Please save the trees

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

EDITOR'S NOTE -- Lyle Wilcox of McCook has sent the following letter to U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson on Tuesday:

Ben the City Council of McCook has begun "clear cutting" the beautiful old trees in Norris Park, just a few yards from your boyhood home on Norris Avenue, and just across the street from the George Norris home.

They contend the old trees are in danger of falling on someone and so all should be removed.

I would hope there is some way to stop this devastating action (they cut down four on the north side of the park today) until a certified forester can subscribe to such action.

In viewing the trees myself today, of the four cut down, only one had a decayed core, the rest were all sound trunks. On the one that had a decayed core, there remained about 6 inches of live wood all around the trunk. You know how strong a live wood trunk can be; just look at the paper tube towels come in, for example.

Further, I found only two trees in the entire park that had visible trunk rot that extended to the surface.

And, these trees are in winter dormancy now, so they cannot show their healthy leafed-out condition as in the summer time.

And, with the horrendous ice storm of the winter of 2006-07, the trees stood through that event, except for some limb damage, a normal thing.

I am 83 and financially unable to take any legal action, but I am a veteran of World war II and know the sacredness of life, and the beauty of life, even if it is saving only one tree.

Can you do something for your old home town to stop this ridiculous action of the City Council, at least until some really professional opinion is rendered on the need for destroying all those wonderful old trees, and a beauty spot of the city near your home?

Sincerely,

Lyle Wilcox,

McCook

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  • With all due respect to how Mr. Wilcox feels, prior to the City Council's decision to remove damaged and potentially dangerous trees for Norris Park, both the tree board and the parks board along with city staff made the recommendation to do the removal and replanting. This recommendation included the views of an arborist. It is my view that the entire council would have rather kept the trees but also felt that in the interest of safety thought the trees should be removed and replanting for future generations should begin. I also believe nobody wants ot lose the stately old trees but that failure to act would be worse than not acting.

    -- Posted by dennis on Thu, Feb 21, 2008, at 2:06 PM
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