For
centuries this tree witnessed the sorrow of families burying their
loved ones. She was the guardian of the Old Burying Ground founded in
1816. Oh the tears that were shed in those hundreds of years for
families yet few were shed when she was laid waste by a chainsaw.
The
local paper (prodded by me) covered the fallen limbs as a result of a storm but was
there such an outcry as witnessed when a scrub maple of 90 years was
removed in a downtown park? NO is the answer. I'm on a rant as if
you couldn't tell.
The
sugar maple in the Old Burying Ground was perhaps 200 years old. It
was strong and solid although a few limbs had been struck in the last
three years and they fell, once again, in silence I am sure she could have been saved. That is if this town had a decent restoration plan. However, if it doesn't happen in the core
of town the blinders are pulled tight.
Will
the tree be replaced? Don't hold your breath. Will the stump be
ground? Hold your breath longer. Was the timber salvaged? Check
the local dump. It saddens me that this tree, for all it has
witnessed, was cast aside and town officials didn't give a care.
~sigh~
