By Donna Westfall – January 22, 2022

Remember trying to drive over the roots in the library parking lot? Well, they’re gone! Two Cypress Trees have been removed.

Two bulldozers attacked the tree trunk and roots opposite each other. Once it was hoisted up a bit, the flat bed truck backed in. The dozers dropped the tree trunk on the truck where it was tied down.

On the other side of Front Street is another Cypress that residents are trying to save.

Maggie Rasmussen placed a comment on Facebook alerting people that the City wants to remove the Cypress outside of the swimming pool. Her latest update:

“I met with a local arborist on Wednesday and he inspected the cypress tree by the pool. His basic assessment, keeping this short, the tree has been neglected for so long and not properly cared for, that when branches did break no one sealed them or cut them correctly, he felt that it should also probably come out. He said we could trim it up and use cables to support the branches but it might only give the tree another 10 to 15 years. The bolts needed to go into the tree for the cables are a special kind and expensive.

A thing that bothered me though is when I told him Eric Wier (City Manager) said an arborist took core samples, he could find no evidence that that ever happened. I have asked 2 times for the arborist report form Eric and have yet to receive an answer.

I also received an email back from the California Native Plants society and this tree is not one of the native trees they are tracking. Does anyone know when this tree was planted? I have been looking at old records and photos and can find no mention of it. Was it here during the 1964 tsunami? To be listed as a heritage tree it has to have been here for at least 75 years.”

If you or someone you know remember anything about that tree, you can reach Maggie on Facebook.