By Toby Frost
It happened months ago. I was wending my way down across the library lawn from where I’d parked on Bedford Road to go to the library. As I neared the precious little crab apple trees by the sidewalk along Library Lane, my feet suddenly flew out from under me and I crashed to the ground.
I managed to get up—oh, thank goodness, no broken bones—and head more directly toward the sidewalk. Walking across the slanting lawn, and even the adjacent pavement, was pretty challenging, because the area was covered with slippery little crab apples. Luckily, I didn’t fall again.
Once in the library, I went to the desk. “You’ve got to do something about those crab apples,” I said. “It’s really dangerous out there—I just fell, and I think I’m OK, but somebody could get seriously hurt.”
I was assuming it would just be a matter of cleaning up the apples a few times during the season. Some time later, I got a call from the library. The crab apple tree where I fell was to be removed. But why? Why not just clean up under the two trees?
Seven months later I learned, at the last minute, of an impending hearing at the Lincoln DPW office on the proposal to remove—yes, cut down—the trees. I found my way into the office a few minutes late. The meeting was small and informal, and I felt like an interloper, but I did manage to say, when the tree removal was brought up, that I was the one who had complained about the hazardous state of the lawn.
I don’t recall whether I mentioned that I’m a tree hugger, but the last thing I’d wanted was to see those two little trees sacrificed because of me. I did learn that keeping the ground cleared of crab apples would be expensive, not only because cleaning them up would be messy, but because the season lasts—and the apples continue to drop—for quite a long time. That meeting closed with a plan to look into the matter further, and to call a follow-up meeting.
I found out by word of mouth that the second meeting was to be held on September 27. It was referred to technically as a public hearing, but with even fewer people attending, I can only call it a meeting. This time, I came on time and was able to claim a seat at the table along with the tree warden, the deputy tree warden, the Lincoln Public Library trustee who chairs its Building and Grounds Committee, and the library director.
Some excellent thinking and planning were shared at that meeting. One proposal was to replace the crab apples with yellowwood trees, which have little fragrant white flowers in early summer, but no fall fruits (double entendre there!). As I listened, I was surprised to realize that my mind was being totally changed about the situation. Lincoln is full of senior citizens—like me!—and when I thought about the possibility of a serious injury—and the town even conceivably being sued for negligence—I was ready to welcome the new plan.
I hope you will welcome it, too.
(Editor’s note: The DPW is expected to remove the crab apples trees shortly.)
