WP employees rose to occasion in Sandy aftermath

The Island Now

First, I want to thank the highway department, the sanitation department, and the tree cutting and removal personnel who stepped up gallantly in the aftermath of Sandy. Their tireless energy  was a very large part of getting Williston Park back on the grid.

 What I would like to address is the village being proud of our abundance of trees. Although we love the character the village has, because of the tree varieties that dot our tiny area, Sandy has forced us to come to terms with the challenge of having such a plethora of older trees. The serious damage to our village came as the direct result of trees being toppled over onto homes, power lines and autos. The village government has always insisted that their position on removing trees has been “If it isn’t dead we won’t remove it.” This position needs to be seriously reconsidered in the aftermath of Sandy.

 Many of our majestic tress are over 80 years old and stand 40-50 feet high. They need attention such as pruning their branches from electric lines and  removal if they pose a danger to homes and businesses. Root systems for these magnificent trees cannot withstand hurricane winds as evidenced by the recent storm.  Replacement of these older trees with trees that are equally beautiful but do not grow to such dangerous dimensions has become a necessity.

Our governor stated that the infrastructure of our city, state and local governments needs to be changed to address the climate changes that are affecting our lives. In Williston Park the adage of “If it isn’t dead we won’t remove it” has to be changed or we will once again have to deal with the devastation and destruction of trees toppling over because they could not withstand hurricane winds. Fortunately, unlike other surrounding villages, no lives were lost in our village from toppling trees. But do we in Williston Park have to wait for that kind of tragedy to occur before we address the issue?

 

Frank Grabinski and Jeanne Bitterman

Williston Park

Share this Article