Read the article over a few more times.. do you see the part where it says the tree is TOO big to decorate and its outgrown its base and its not healthy anymore.. oh and then there is the part where they are going to replace that tree with a healthy smaller tree so it can grow into a nice Christmas tree over the years.... wow lets all get worked up over a tree getting cut down...
City
New Auburn tree picked for city's Christmas decoration
Nov 17, 2009 1:26 am
Amber Waterman/Sun Journal
The large evergreen tree across from Rolly's Diner in Auburn is slated to be cut down Thursday and moved to Festival Plaza as the city's Christmas tree this year.
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AUBURN — The massive evergreen tree in front of the Vincent Apartment building on Mill Street has served as New Auburn's Christmas tree for the last 30 years — but not this year.
Crews are scheduled to cut down the three-story-tall tree Thursday morning and truck it three-quarters of a mile north on Main Street, to Festival Plaza. It will be decorated there as the official Christmas tree for the city.
"It's a beautiful tree and we're going to miss it," said Rick Whiting, executive director of the Auburn Housing Authority. "But as long as we get something else in there, it should be OK."
Crews from the city and Cote Crane and Rigging of Auburn are scheduled to begin cutting the tree at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Rick Hersom of Auburn Public Works.
"It's getting to the point now that it's getting hard to decorate," Hersom said. "It's too tall, outgrowing its base, and it's not all that healthy."
That's a shame, according to Maurice Fournier, of 30 Fourth St. The tree has been New Auburn's community Christmas tree for the last 30 years.
"I'm concerned, because I think they could find another tree someplace else," Fournier said. "Let us keep our Christmas tree. But I think it's just too far gone to save it now."
But Ken Blais, of Rolly's Diner, said the change could be a good thing. The tree has been across the street from his restaurant as long as he can remember.
"But as long as we get another tree somewhere, it'll be fine," Blais said. "It's big, but I don't think it's been maintained all that much. As long as we get a tree to decorate somewhere, I don't mind."
The housing authority is scheduled to finish work on the Vincent Apartment building next month. The tree, on a triangular sliver of land between the building and the South Main Street/Mill Street intersection, will be replaced.
"There is a lot we can do with that space," Whiting said. "There's room there for a little park, or a bench and some green space. It's unused now because of the tree. But it might be nice to get something there for our residents. That's what we're hoping for."
Auburn Ward 5 City Councilor Ray Berube agreed. Berube's ward includes New Auburn.
"We have what's shaping up to be a very nice looking building down there, but that tree is hiding it," Berube said. "So I'm all in favor of cutting it down, on the condition that we have another, just as nice, but 6 or 8 feet tall. That could grow into a nice Christmas tree over the next few years."
Comments
More trees should be planted
Submitted by Jay Bee on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 08:46.
More trees should be planted to hide what a monstrosity the Vincent Block has become. I'm still in shock at how awful the final outcome is. If that's the best the City can do for the gateway to New Auburn, I don't have much faith in what will replace that tree. This is symptomatic of a much larger problem. Auburn has no guiding vision, despite endless master plans, because nobody has the courage or conviction to see anything through. As each banal project comes to fruition, the essence of what Auburn was is forever lost.
Sorry, but I disagree. It's
Submitted by Dave on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 22:00.
Sorry, but I disagree. It's better than it was. And there will be live humans living there instead of an empty shell.
Is it what I would prefer? No. But there is no market to develop lofts/condos to young professionals in L/A. They don't exist.
READ THE ARTICLE
Submitted by jayla on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 08:45.
READ THE ARTICLE PEOPLE!!!
"It's getting to the point now that it's getting hard to decorate," Hersom said. "It's too tall, outgrowing its base, and it's not all that healthy."
This is so typical of the
Submitted by AUBURNITE on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 08:34.
This is so typical of the way this City operates these days! No one has a clue and everyone is out for themselves Hey Ray Berube maybe we should cut down a tree in your yard and use that one to replace this one. That was a landmark in downtown New Auburn. Let's see if you can make up for it with a nice little park area, maybe the councilor can get CDBG money to build the park rather than taxpayer money! I challenge you to step to the plate! do something right for a change.
What a shame. Has the
Submitted by DonaldR on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 07:22.
What a shame. Has the arborist looked at this tree to see if it can be brought back to health?
Do you folks read the entire
Submitted by CharlieBrown on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 07:12.
Do you folks read the entire article?
' it's not all that healthy.'
' The tree... will be replaced. '
If it isn't healthy it will be cut down soon anyway. Now it can serve a purpose after cutting it down before it meets the chipper. It will be replaced with a smaller tree somewhere else. That is good planning in my book.
This is the first time I
Submitted by candiceanne on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 07:04.
This is the first time I have hard of a city looking mong its landscaping trees for an annual Christmas Tree that will be cut and moved to another location. Cities are generally looking to preserve the trees they have not cut them down to use frivolously for a few weeks of ornamentation. Most cities go to a Christmas Tree Farm and purchase a tree or a farm donates one. Thiis just does not fit in with the dont cut a tree for a cell phone tower, wind mill, Plumb Creek, heat a home or have jobs mentality of any kind of Maine.
Gee, maybe this this will
Submitted by Josh on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 06:53.
Gee, maybe this this will give the city something else to write about in its weekly TCT column.
RAY BERUBE:"I'm all in favor
Submitted by Ginger1 on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 06:32.
RAY BERUBE:"I'm all in favor of cutting it down."?? Who are you representing by that statement,yourself,or your constituents? You city councilors use the word "I " a lot for people that are suppose to be representing others. Do "all"your constituents want that tree moved?Have you even polled your constituents on this issue? You're "all in" alright,all into your own agenda. Yanking the little kids Christmas tree down right before Christmas.The Grinch has got nothing on you.
Hiding the Vincent building?
Submitted by Ginger1 on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 05:51.
Hiding the Vincent building? That whole area is an eye sore,and will look even worse without that tree.The city council has ignored that part of town compared to the money that's been invested in "old" Auburn. With the exception of that ugly painted wall across from roopers that costed the taxpayers thousands,the council has done nothing to beautify that area,now they want to cut down the only landscaping in that area. That tree gave so many little kids in that area a beautiful christmas for 30 years,and now the council wants to replace it with a stick.
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Good riddance to a butt-ugly
Good riddance to a butt-ugly tree.
How about replacing it with some nice flowering crabapple trees or some other ornamental tree?