By Ken Hesselbacher
On July 1, 2020 I was walking on Pondfield Road in Bronxville on my way to the Bronxville Library. Diagonally across from the library is the Reformed Church of Bronxville. As I approached the church I noticed a large crane and truck blocking the sidewalk. There was a landscaping company in the process of removing a large oak tree from the lawn in front of the church.
Although I was saddened to see this magnificent tree being cut down and removed, I said to myself that there must be a good reason that this was being done. Returning from the library I looked across the street and saw standing on the front lawn of the church an even larger oak tree about 30 feet away from where the tree that had been removed.
The Tree looked so sad and forlorn. Although I am not a tree
therapist, I believed the tree was mourning his fallen fellow oak tree. Life
however goes on and so I too went on. And then on August 5th, the day after the Isiasis storm, I was driving along Pondfield Road with my wife, Sandra when we saw that remaining oak tree split in half and lying on his side. We parked the car and Sandra took the photo.
Although the passing of these two old oak trees is so sad, I wanted to end the tale on a more positive note, so I offer these two quotes: The first would be from the final line from the classic 1933 movie “King Kong”,
“Oh no, it wasn’t the airplanes, it was beauty that killed the beast!”
And the second quote is from me, “Wear your mask, maintain six foot social distance, and vote!”
And then on August 7th, as I was walking past the spot, the second oak tree had been removed except for the stump. As I paused and looked up I noticed that there was one remaining oak tree, standing as much as an oak tree can stand at attention, next to the American flag flying at half mast. Farewell old Oaks!
