TREE SLAUGHTER, FIVE YEARS LATER

The White Street trees on Thursday, and the scene in April 2007, below. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Heading into a sunny Easter weekend, redbankgreen revisits the scene of the 2007 White Street Tree Slaughter, and finds the update equally sunny.

Five years ago this month, nine mature Bradford pear trees lining the Red Bank municipal parking lot on White Street were cut down by borough workers, prompting some jaw-dropping by passersby.

Fourteen new Harvest Gold Crabapple trees were planted in May 2007. (Click to enlarge)

The trees were growing into wires and liable to send limbs falling, tree experts said at the time. And they were soon replaced by 14 Harvest Gold crabapples.

So how are the babies doing? We asked borough Shade Tree Commission member Boris Kofman, who replied via email:

They’re all alive and doing pretty well! Given the tough conditions, that’s no small feat. DPU and STC have been taking care of them, with annual mulching and some pruning. Nature takes care of the rest.