Every Tuesday when I go to the Collett Street Recreation Center for our writing group, I round the corner at the Financial Building across the street and am once again dismayed at the large gaping hole staring at me where a beautiful, healthy, maple tree once stood.
My friends, Ian and Terri Robins and I tried to count the rings on the stump to see how old the tree was. Some of the rings were about an inch apart indicating fast growth because of good weather conditions, the right amount of rain, maybe a long summer like this past one. Other rings were closer together, showing the summer had been too dry for much growth.
We never did get the rings counted, so we started estimating the age of the tree by its size. I think Ian came to the conclusion that the tree was about 60 years old. I thought it might be closer to 75.
Terri and I had stood in the shade of the tree on hot steamy days during our many after-the-meeting conversations. The limbs and leaves were so thick, they could provide shelter for a bicyclist or pedestrian unlucky enough to get caught in a sudden downpour.
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The loss of this maple reminded me of the book, The Giving Tree, written by Shel Silverstein and published in 1964. Many of you have probably had the book read to you, read the book when you were in elementary school or have read the book to your children and grandchildren. At least the Giving Tree still (spoiler alert) had its trunk. Our maple tree didn't even have that left.
Weeks later I once again complained about the missing tree.
“That's still bothering you isn't it?” asked Terri.
Yes, it was. I couldn't get over the fact that a full, healthy carbon dioxide-absorbing, oxygen-releasing tree had been cut down and replaced with a patch of grass. I pictured, in my overly-imaginative mind, a scene of one tree still standing while hundreds of people gathered around it, like cows in a pasture, gasping for air.
I got curious and searched for information on the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by an adult tree in a year, and oxygen released in that time.
Canada's National Environmental Society, reported “On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two mature trees can produce enough oxygen for a family of four for a year.”
I tried to come up with a reason why the maple tree was removed. It didn't appear to be in the way of drivers' line of sight at the intersection. The lowest limb was high enough for drivers to see under it.
Being in the way of power lines didn't seem to be a plausible explanation since there were three other maples lined up beside the one cut. Even if they were close to power lines, they could be trimmed. Upon closer inspection, I realized there were no power lines along that section of the street.
I asked at the Recreation Center, and more than one worker admitted to being as clueless as I.
A call to City of Morganton Utilities gave me no definitive answers. They too had noticed the missing tree at the Recreation Center. I was given some possible reasons why the tree was cut. Dangling power lines had been taken down recently. Rotten power poles were being replaced with new ones. Someone suggested the roots from the tree could be interfering with proper drainage along the road. All these answers made sense, but were they correct?
Even my doctor, Anne Gonzalez, from A Woman's View in Hickory, mentioned she had missed the maple at the Recreation Center in August, when she took her son there for soccer. I realized the removal of the maple has drawn the attention of others. They also have questions.
If anyone knows why this beautiful maple tree was taken down, would you please email me at dndvanh@gmail.com?
UPDATE:
On Monday, Nov. 14, Van Horn got a response:
Ms. Van Horn,
I read your story in The News Herald this weekend and I wanted to give you a bit of information about the maple tree you are asking about.
The City Electric Services Department had to remove an old, rotting electric pole near the tree. To get their electric truck close enough remove the old pole, they had to trim a lot off the side of the maple tree. After the electric work was done, the tree looked pretty bad and likely wouldn’t have survived due to the trimming (it had to be trimmed though), so the director at the time decided to remove the tree. We know a lot of people really liked that tree, but sadly, the electric work had to be done. Thankfully there are three other beautiful maple trees right there along Collett Street. Also, the Recreation Department plans to add some landscaping on the corner. I hope this sheds some light on the subject.
Have a great day.
Joshua Harris
Public Information Officer
City of Morganton
