INSIDE:
3rd annual softball fundraiser honors memory of Maryann Loprete, Page 4 Wethersfield bus routes inside, Pages 8-9 Wethersfield council OKs $500K grant for town improvements, Page 2
Shoddy tree-atment Friday, August 23, 2013
Wethersfield residents, officials say CL&P tree-trimming was haphazard, often without property owners’ consent By ERICA SCHMITT STAFF WRITER
As the peak of hurricane season — mid-September — approaches, Wethersfield is trying to strike a balance between safety preparation and historic preservation. Connecticut Light and Power crews made their way through town recently to trim trees hanging close to power lines, but residents say their Volume 53, No. 33
50 Cents
work left devastation equal to that of a hurricane. “The whole way it’s turned out in multiple parts of town is horrific,” Town Councilor Gerri Roberts said at Monday’s Town Council meeting, where more than a dozen spoke up on the issue. “The whole thing was just helter skelter; I understand why people are upset,” she added. Work performed on the Broad Street Green drew the most concerns, where residents say centuries-old limbs were “butchered.” Highcrest and Ridge Roads were also affected. CL&P sent Vegetation Manager David Goodson to address town residents and officials Monday.
Initially he defended the work, claiming that trees are cut to increase public safety and the reliability of the town’s electric system. “We want your lights to stay on,” he told the group. According to Goodson, the power company’s budget for such work has doubled in recent years after disasters like Superstorm Sandy ripped through the state, leaving people without power for weeks. He added that CL&P crews use the philosophy “right tree, right place,” to make decisions about which to cut. About six trees on the town’s Erica Schmitt | Staff historic green were apparently prime Centuries-old trees on the Broad Street Green were “butchered” by CL&P candidates. crews recently, causing an uproar from residents in the surrounding neighSee RESIDENTS, Page 16
borhood and town officials alike.
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