http://www.eagletribune.com/punewshh/local_story_154231046.html?keyword=topstory
HAVERHILL — April Kaloostian and her family have long enjoyed the beauty of two trees in front of their upper Hilldale Avenue home.
A representative from National Grid stopped by recently to say the two locust trees were unhealthy, and should they topple from natural causes it could knock out the power to her home and to her neighbors' homes.
Kaloostian, who lives at 820 Hilldale Ave., along with her husband and their two school-age children, said she will be sorry to see the trees go but understands why National Grid wants to take them down.
"Trees are pretty and they are part of nature," Kaloostian said. "But unfortunately these trees are in trouble."
National Grid has a plan to take down 64 dead, dying, diseased or rotted trees it says could cause a disruption in electrical service to its customers in Haverhill.
Company officials say the sick or rotted trees they have targeted for removal, with the assistance of the city's tree warden, are located near main power lines. They say any one of them could fall and plunge a neighborhood or a section of the city into darkness.
"We're looking for bad trees, which our arborist identifies by walking along the entire line," said Mike Meyerdierks, program manager for National Grid's Hazard Tree Mitigation Program. "We create a list, report what we find to the city's DPW, then we hold a public hearing."
Long before public hearings are scheduled, National Grid representatives visit homes where sick trees threaten power lines.
Kaloostian said National Grid came to her home six or seven weeks ago to explain the project, give her some information and tag the two locust trees. She recently learned of the scope of the project and said what National Grid wants to do should help prevent power outages.
"I'd have to agree that from what I know about it, it makes sense," she said.
Three old shade trees in front of the home of Susan and Gary Bonnell at 1421 Broadway, which is opposite the fire station in historic and scenic Ayers Village, are on the list as well.
Gary Bonnell said he was apprehensive about National Grid's plan to take down the trees until the city's assistant tree warden, Neil Kelleher, set his mind as ease. Kelleher and someone from National Grid visited him recently to explain the project.
"After talking to Neil I decided to let them do what they want to do," Bonnell said. "My big concern was the stumps, and if they would be removed. I was told the stumps will be removed and the work would be done correctly."
Bonnell said he worries that rural Ayers Village will become a "concrete jungle" because of tree removal, but recognizes the need for reliable power service.
National Grid spokeswoman Deborah Drew said her company is constantly trying to balance reliability with its tree maintenance programs.
"It's a balance between keeping the lights on and what we need to do so we don't have service interruptions," she said.
The targeted city trees are located mostly along Hilldale Avenue and upper Hilldale Avenue, between Cogswell Street and Fondi Road, as well as along Rosemont Street, Broadway, Smiley Avenue and Montclair Road.
Meyerdierks said all residents are notified in advance whenever there is a need to take down a sick tree near their property. He said his company also works closely with city officials. In this case, Haverhill Public Works Director Michael Stankovich was involved in drawing up the list of sick trees.
Stankovich said he welcomes National Grid's help and said it would cost the city $60,000 to take down the 64 trees that are on the list.
"Some of these trees are 55 inches in width and could cost as much as $2,000 to remove," Stankovich said. "And since these trees are near or along the city right of way, if they don't remove them, and they come down, they could strike a pedestrian, a vehicle or a house. It helps us by having them remove these trees."
"I think it's a good thing they're willing to do this, and it won't cost the city any money," said City Councilor William Macek. "What I don't want to see them do is just strip trees to an excess. As a rule of thumb, I don't think they should do any (more) trimming than is necessary for the safety of their lines and equipment. But the full removal of a dead or dying tree, that's a whole different ball game."
At the same time National Grid makes plans to carry out its Hazard Tree Mitigation Program in Haverhill, the company is also trimming trees throughout the city as part of its Vegetation Management program.
James MacArthur, National Grid's senior arborist for the Merrimack Valley, is involved with both the Hazard Tree and Vegetation Management programs. He said work crews began trimming trees along 140 miles of Haverhill roads in April, and so far they've completed about 15 miles of the work.
MacArthur said his company is sensitive to how its trimming program might impact a resident, and that notifications are dropped off at residences far in advance of any planned work.
Every so often he'll get a call from a resident who is unhappy about the trimming work or who requests a "light" trim instead of what is needed.
"Our foreman will meet with them and if they are not happy they are referred to me," he said.
He said some trees, or what he referred to as "climbable" trees, have to be trimmed as they pose a different kind of hazard.
"If a child were to grab a wire to balance themselves, it would be bad news," he said.
Meyerdierks said taking down 60 or more trees would take around two weeks and that the project could begin within a month.
The list of trees National Grid plans to remove can be found on the city's Web site: www.ci.haverhill.ma.us.
HAVERHILL — April Kaloostian and her family have long enjoyed the beauty of two trees in front of their upper Hilldale Avenue home.
A representative from National Grid stopped by recently to say the two locust trees were unhealthy, and should they topple from natural causes it could knock out the power to her home and to her neighbors' homes.
Kaloostian, who lives at 820 Hilldale Ave., along with her husband and their two school-age children, said she will be sorry to see the trees go but understands why National Grid wants to take them down.
"Trees are pretty and they are part of nature," Kaloostian said. "But unfortunately these trees are in trouble."
National Grid has a plan to take down 64 dead, dying, diseased or rotted trees it says could cause a disruption in electrical service to its customers in Haverhill.
Company officials say the sick or rotted trees they have targeted for removal, with the assistance of the city's tree warden, are located near main power lines. They say any one of them could fall and plunge a neighborhood or a section of the city into darkness.
"We're looking for bad trees, which our arborist identifies by walking along the entire line," said Mike Meyerdierks, program manager for National Grid's Hazard Tree Mitigation Program. "We create a list, report what we find to the city's DPW, then we hold a public hearing."
Long before public hearings are scheduled, National Grid representatives visit homes where sick trees threaten power lines.
Kaloostian said National Grid came to her home six or seven weeks ago to explain the project, give her some information and tag the two locust trees. She recently learned of the scope of the project and said what National Grid wants to do should help prevent power outages.
"I'd have to agree that from what I know about it, it makes sense," she said.
Three old shade trees in front of the home of Susan and Gary Bonnell at 1421 Broadway, which is opposite the fire station in historic and scenic Ayers Village, are on the list as well.
Gary Bonnell said he was apprehensive about National Grid's plan to take down the trees until the city's assistant tree warden, Neil Kelleher, set his mind as ease. Kelleher and someone from National Grid visited him recently to explain the project.
"After talking to Neil I decided to let them do what they want to do," Bonnell said. "My big concern was the stumps, and if they would be removed. I was told the stumps will be removed and the work would be done correctly."
Bonnell said he worries that rural Ayers Village will become a "concrete jungle" because of tree removal, but recognizes the need for reliable power service.
National Grid spokeswoman Deborah Drew said her company is constantly trying to balance reliability with its tree maintenance programs.
"It's a balance between keeping the lights on and what we need to do so we don't have service interruptions," she said.
The targeted city trees are located mostly along Hilldale Avenue and upper Hilldale Avenue, between Cogswell Street and Fondi Road, as well as along Rosemont Street, Broadway, Smiley Avenue and Montclair Road.
Meyerdierks said all residents are notified in advance whenever there is a need to take down a sick tree near their property. He said his company also works closely with city officials. In this case, Haverhill Public Works Director Michael Stankovich was involved in drawing up the list of sick trees.
Stankovich said he welcomes National Grid's help and said it would cost the city $60,000 to take down the 64 trees that are on the list.
"Some of these trees are 55 inches in width and could cost as much as $2,000 to remove," Stankovich said. "And since these trees are near or along the city right of way, if they don't remove them, and they come down, they could strike a pedestrian, a vehicle or a house. It helps us by having them remove these trees."
"I think it's a good thing they're willing to do this, and it won't cost the city any money," said City Councilor William Macek. "What I don't want to see them do is just strip trees to an excess. As a rule of thumb, I don't think they should do any (more) trimming than is necessary for the safety of their lines and equipment. But the full removal of a dead or dying tree, that's a whole different ball game."
At the same time National Grid makes plans to carry out its Hazard Tree Mitigation Program in Haverhill, the company is also trimming trees throughout the city as part of its Vegetation Management program.
James MacArthur, National Grid's senior arborist for the Merrimack Valley, is involved with both the Hazard Tree and Vegetation Management programs. He said work crews began trimming trees along 140 miles of Haverhill roads in April, and so far they've completed about 15 miles of the work.
MacArthur said his company is sensitive to how its trimming program might impact a resident, and that notifications are dropped off at residences far in advance of any planned work.
Every so often he'll get a call from a resident who is unhappy about the trimming work or who requests a "light" trim instead of what is needed.
"Our foreman will meet with them and if they are not happy they are referred to me," he said.
He said some trees, or what he referred to as "climbable" trees, have to be trimmed as they pose a different kind of hazard.
"If a child were to grab a wire to balance themselves, it would be bad news," he said.
Meyerdierks said taking down 60 or more trees would take around two weeks and that the project could begin within a month.
The list of trees National Grid plans to remove can be found on the city's Web site: www.ci.haverhill.ma.us.
