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#Post#: 13353--------------------------------------------------
City removes landmark tree
By: luvcats Date: May 19, 2014, 8:02 pm
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WAUSAU — Residents on Wausau’s southeast side are mourning the
loss of a 130-year-old oak tree that the city cut down to make a
popular sledding hill safer.
Next winter’s sledding season at Pleasant View Park might be
less thrilling than in years past, but the Wausau and Marathon
County Parks, Recreation and Forestry department also wants it
to be less hazardous. The department’s crews this spring cut
down the tree at the bottom of the park’s sledding hill, where
it threatened wayward sledders for years.
Residents of the neighborhood say the tree evoked many childhood
memories, and some have gone so far as to call it a beloved
Wausau landmark. Many of them remember speeding down the park’s
sledding hill during their youths with the sole goal of seeing
whether they could dodge the enormous tree.
A post about the removed tree on the “You know you’re from
Wausau if ...” Facebook page generated more than 60 comments,
almost all of them left by people upset about the lost tree.
“The tree was a local landmark,” wrote Jason Kania of Wausau. “I
am thankful that my children were able to create memories with
that tree in the back drop, but what about their children? They
will only hear the stories and see the pictures. It’s sad.”
Department officials, however, said the tree has been a safety
concern for many years, and several minor injuries and near
misses have been reported.
It’s a tough decision,” Wausau and Marathon County Parks,
Recreation and Forestry Director Bill Duncanson said. “We have a
tree that could live for a while and we know it’s in decline,
however, we’re balancing that off against public safety.
“Even if someone could get injured terribly and could sue the
city, we would probably win, but who really wins in that
situation? We decided to act in the interest of public safety.”
City officials also were concerned about people building jumps
on the unmanaged sled hill and using inflatable inner tubes that
are harder to steer than sleds.
“Unfortunately, some parents put small children in a tube and
send them down the hill by themselves on an uncontrolled ride,”
Duncanson said. “Even if the child saw they were not going where
they wanted, it is difficult for a small child to reach the
ground to steer a tube, much less bail out of a large tube.”
The tree also showed signs of decay, such as dry rot, said City
Forester Blaine Peterson, but not enough for it to come down for
that reason alone.
“It wasn’t going to fall over, but it wasn’t a stellar tree,”
Peterson said.
Some residents say the city should have asked for public input
before removing the tree.
“Perhaps in the future, when confronted with the task of cutting
down a tree as massive and significant as the oak in question,
they could put out the word to the residents in the area to let
them know what was going on,” said Jake Stachovak, who lives on
Monroe Street across from the park.
The city during winters past had built a dirt mound and at times
placed straw bales around the tree, which some sledders felt was
enough to prevent injuries.
“Fifty years of no issues and all of a sudden it was an issue
that needed to be dealt with that day, with zero input from
other citizens?” Chris Filtz of Wausau said. “To have that tree,
which is somewhat of a landmark growing up in Wausau, removed
for no good reason has irked people.”
#Post#: 13354--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: trollslayer Date: May 19, 2014, 10:22 pm
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I read this over the weekend and I'm also linked to the facebook
page mentioned. All I have to say is, the tree has been there
130 years. Now for fear of somebody getting hurt it's being
removed. My only question is, does this even make sense?
#Post#: 13356--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: luvcats Date: May 19, 2014, 10:27 pm
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trollslayer, I can tell you are a baby boomer like I am.
Avoiding a tree going down hill was a challenge. I found some of
the comments on the article amusing.
#Post#: 13359--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: trollslayer Date: May 20, 2014, 6:16 am
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[quote author=luvcats link=topic=1066.msg13356#msg13356
date=1400556426]
trollslayer, I can tell you are a baby boomer like I am.
Avoiding a tree going down hill was a challenge. I found some of
the comments on the article amusing.
[/quote]
You're exactly right. Who hasn't run into a tree or two while
sledding in their lifetime?
#Post#: 13360--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: 2fat Date: May 20, 2014, 9:34 am
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In WR years back they took down a small hill(sandlot park) for
about the same reason
#Post#: 13361--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: luvcats Date: May 20, 2014, 10:00 am
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[quote author=2fat link=topic=1066.msg13360#msg13360
date=1400596491]
In WR years back they took down a small hill(sandlot park) for
about the same reason
[/quote]
I tried to find that place once. Where was that located?
Remember Arneson ski hill in Wisconsin Rapids? I believe that
was taken down for the same reason.
My Ma went out and got a toboggan when I was a kid. She thought
it would be great fun for us. She had me sit in front of her and
we headed down Arneson hill. My face got freezing cold from the
wind flying into it so I baled off the toboggan. There was an
intercom and it was stated that there was an accident and
everyone stay put. My Ma was terribly embarrassed and I got in
trouble for that. That's all I heard about the entire day.
#Post#: 13364--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: rapids_60 Date: May 20, 2014, 10:50 pm
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[quote author=trollslayer link=topic=1066.msg13359#msg13359
date=1400584578]
You're exactly right. Who hasn't run into a tree or two while
sledding in their lifetime?
[/quote]
The difference is now they sue the city. It wouldn't surprise
me if the city's insurance carrier mandated the tree removal.
Cats, I remember Arneson hill. That wooden toboggan chute was
in bad shape towards the end there, lol.
#Post#: 13366--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: udontnojack Date: May 20, 2014, 11:30 pm
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i am surprised that tree was there that long
#Post#: 13367--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: Snickers Date: May 20, 2014, 11:38 pm
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[quote author=luvcats link=topic=1066.msg13361#msg13361
date=1400598046]
I tried to find that place once. Where was that located?
Remember Arneson ski hill in Wisconsin Rapids? I believe that
was taken down for the same reason.
My Ma went out and got a toboggan when I was a kid. She thought
it would be great fun for us. She had me sit in front of her and
we headed down Arneson hill. My face got freezing cold from the
wind flying into it so I baled off the toboggan. There was an
intercom and it was stated that there was an accident and
everyone stay put. My Ma was terribly embarrassed and I got in
trouble for that. That's all I heard about the entire day.
[/quote]
And then the city went and built a skate park with a ramp.
Which is far more dangerous then Arneson hill or that small
hill at Sand Lot ever was.
#Post#: 13376--------------------------------------------------
Re: City removes landmark tree
By: luvcats Date: May 21, 2014, 7:14 pm
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[quote author=Snickers link=topic=1066.msg13367#msg13367
date=1400647103]
And then the city went and built a skate park with a ramp.
Which is far more dangerous then Arneson hill or that small
hill at Sand Lot ever was.
[/quote]
That is the truth!
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