Imperial Valley press., 1923-02-27
SPARE MY TREE.
PEOPLE BEG OF
CITY COUNCIL
Paving Program Requires
Destructive Work of
WOOdman's Axe
Officials to Be Lenient
Charge Trees Not
Properly Planted

'uHSlupfaDle DISSATISFACTION mas
been expressed by various citizens
of FL Centre, due to the fact that in
carrying out the new paving pro-
gram authorized by the city, shade
trees along the streets to be paved
will, in many instances. nave to be
removed to MAKE way for the curb
ing which is being installed along
with the paving. just how manv
trees will have to be cut down is
uncertain at this time but n good
portion of those on Olive, Brighton
Orange and other streets of the
south section of the city will be
affected by the work now being
done.
According to +. C. Dyer, city en-
gineer, the cause of the tree re-
moval goes back to the time they
were planted. Then, it is claimed
little or no attention was paid to
the curbing lines, the trees being
planted without regard TO the fu-
iure when it would become neces-
sary to pave the streets. The
tfCVS III inStthCcS IlOW wei
grown and prove invaluable in the
summer time when they tend to al.
leviate somewhat the intense heat
At all times, their decorative value
is a distinct asset to the city and
the thought of losing them, ranklcs
i'll the hearts Of landowners o,
whose property they front.
Quotes Kilmer's Poem
One citizen. who did no.. wish tc
be quoted, said this morning that
even though the trees were not SET
out in proper lines, he believed TIL,
city council should have taken the
trees into consideration when the
paving program was planned, so that
if necessary, the width of the
street could be reduced in order to
lake room for them. A few feet
more or less in the width of the
street means practically nothing, he
maintained, in relation TO the value
of the tree. He quoted from Joyce
Kilmer: Poems are made by fools
like me, but only God can make a
tree" to indicate how he felt.
Another property owner pointed
to the coming tree planting week
which is to be observed all over Cal.
ifornia by planting trees along high
ways, roads and on private property,
and lamented the fact that while
other sections of the state would be
improving their appearance and do
ing constructive piece of work,
FL Centre, in Imperial Valley, where
trees are needed more than in any
other part of California, would be
committing acts III destruction by
removing any number of the trees
which were planted with such care,
and which have been raised to ma
turity at the cost of considerable
trouble.
Members of the Ten Thousand
Club are extremely grieved at the
respect of losing several trees on
their property AT Seventh and Olive
streets, realizing that it will detract
flom the appearance of the grounds
surrounding the club house. Several
have intimated that they will ap.
pear before the city council tOmor-
row night to protest the removal
of any trees. The club as body,
it is understood, have not taken any
action i'm the matter.
The city engineer stated that
while several complaints regarding
the tree removal have been received
at the city hall, the subject of the
tree removal has been Greatly exa@.
aerated. He believed the only see.
tion of the city with legitimate
grievans IS the north side OF Olive
street between Sixth street and the
Ditch, where, unfortunately, several
fine trees will have to be removed
to make way for the burging Where
possible, the city win try to trans
plant or replace these trees, he
said. A few trees will be removed
on other streets in this section, but
in his opinion they are small sized
and far between, and can be easily
replaced in comparatively shor,
time. He expressed his regret that
the trees along Olive street will
have to be removed, but pointed out
that they We're improperly planted
in the first place.
Whatever the outcome. it is be
lieved several citizens viii appear
before the city council tomorrow
night, and ask that something bt
done to avoid the removal of as
many trees as possible.