Another sad result of the May 4 storm is the loss of so many beautiful trees in town. While some remain standing and show signs of life, they will not last, as there aren't enough leaves and branches to nourish them. The City has arranged for the trees to be removed. But in an effort to  convert that loss into a gain, Cheryl Long, editor-in-chief of  Mother Earth News, came up with the great idea to turn the multitude of trees that must be removed into useful lumber. Cheryl has arranged for a portable sawmill company to bring equipment to town to process the huge tree trunks into lumber. These boards  can be used for trim in buildings, for benches, and perhaps in the memorial that will be built.  City Council gave its approval to the concept and Mayor John Janssen volunteered his vacant lot for the storage and processing of the logs. Ben Arensman of Arensman Services of  Kinsley has been working hard to sort the logs with potential and the logs that have been too damaged to process. Arensman Services has the contract to take down the dying trees  and remove the stumps. Ben and his crew have been a tremendous help in making possible the recovery of lumber from these trees. Many thanks to Arensmen Services from GreenTown and Greensburg.

Last updated on January 20, 2008 by Administrator