Keith Bryant
A sweet-gum tree next to the Veterans Wall of Honor was cut down Friday to prevent it from falling on and damaging the wall.
Gary Aaron, president of the Veteran's Council of Northwest Arkansas, said that while the tree was beautiful, it was also fragile and hanging over the wall. If it fell, he said, it could present a hazard to the wall and visitors.
"On a scale, I figure the wall is more important than the tree," he said. "Our whole purpose is to maintain the wall, and we feel like it's a sacred obligation to take care of it."
The council, he said, consists of 11 veterans. One responsibility is caring for the wall, which was dedicated in 2004. In addition to the threat of a limb or the whole tree falling, he said, the tree had a bad habit of leaving gumballs that were difficult to clean up.
Removing the tree, he said, cost the council about $1,100. The tree was cut down and the stump ground to avoid leaving an unsightly nub.
Chad Williams, owner of Professional Tree Service, which removed the tree, said it was a good idea to remove the tree.
"They made a good call, I think, cause them sweet gum trees are real fragile," he said.
He was more than happy, he said, to work with the veterans.
Aaron said that, while the council is certainly not anti-tree, the old, tall plant had to go all the same.
"The tree is beautiful and it's old," he said. "We placed the wall in the wrong place, since the tree was there first."
General News on 02/01/2017