There is a builder in our town who drove the road overlooking our harbor and decided He wanted that piece of land to build his own home on. Wouldn't that view look good from his own windows? It didn't matter that the road was public and the overlook was a public view. It did not matter that building his house on the bluff and moving the road back, would prevent the public from enjoying the view. After all, He had lots of money. He petitioned the town that he would "volunteer" to move the road back, since it had a "dangerous" curve. (There were no auto accidents at that site that I was aware of.) None in the town agreed with him. More people showed up to protest at his hearing, than at any other hearing in town that I know of. To retaliate, the builder cut down a magnificent Cooper Beech tree on his property. He was saying, in effect, no one can tell me what I can do with my own property.
The people in town organized. It was by-partison. Bob was the stratigist that showed the way to win. The rich builder was defeated. The road stayed where it is, minus a beautiful beech tree. That was tree number one.
Some time later, Bob died. He was well known in town as a district chairman, as a volunteer fireman, as a school guidance counsellor. People contributed to his memorial fund that was used to purchase a new Cooper Beech tree. The Board of Education permitted the tree to be planted on school grounds. The tree was planted by the tennis courts in front of the High School where he used to work. Tree number two. During that winter, neighborhood school kids rode snowmobiles up and over the hill and over the newly planted tree. They wrenched it right out of the ground. It died.
The Board of Education assisted. They had big concrete barriers placed around the tree's replacement, but because of weather conditions, it died, too. Tree number three.
Tree four: The Board of Education has talks of developing the hill near the tennis courts. Planting another tree in the same place didn't make sense. In the future, the tree would probably be cut down. The Board agreed that the replacement tree could be planted on the bus turnaround in front of the high school. It was planted there, with enough space around it to grown into a magnificent large and beautiful tree.
That summer and the following summer, drought occurred. I carried water in watering cans in my car, splashing water around the inside of my car. The tree got watered and lived, but grew very slowly. It is the nature of beech trees to start off slowly. I did not care now long it took to grow, but the Board of Ed did.
Last fall, they removed the tree. Instead, they planted a large flowering cherry tree on the outside of the bus turnaround. I thought the purpose was supposed to be a beech tree. Instead, I bit my lip and said nothing. Maintenance retrieved the marble name plaque from the tennis court site and placed it at the foot of the flowering cherry. Tree five.
This spring, the cherry trees are blooming. I drive to see how Bob's memorial cherry tree is looking. Shock!!! Someone had attacked the tree. They tore off it's limbs. They had to work hard to do this. There was nothing left of this beautiful tree except a dead trunk standing. My reasoning is that the plaque honoring a school employee made the tree a target for an angry person. Therefore, I requested that Maintenace remove the plaque and give it to me to put into my garden.
Next call was to the City's Tree Warden. I told him my story . He agreed to plant a memorial tree in the city's newly planned memorial arboretum. It would be a Cooper Beech. There shall be no plaque to point it out, but I will know which one it is. Tree six.