Reader Poll: What Should be Done with Wilmette's Bicentennial Ash?

Andrea Hart July 14, 2011 at 07:16 pm

You can also post your ideas on our Facebook Poll here: http://www.facebook.com/wilmettepatch. One reader has already given a "chainsaw" suggestion. What's yours?

Dan Collyer July 14, 2011 at 09:46 pm

Cut it, stack it and burn it.

Frederick Keady July 15, 2011 at 03:27 pm

Make it into baseball bats for little leaguers, or sell it to the highest bidder and avoid another village boondoggle.

Tyler Kochman July 19, 2011 at 03:51 am

I feel it should be researched by observing its rings. I mean, it predated our nations founding. It lived through such environmental events as the 'Year Without a Summer'. It could give us much needed insight into historic and scientific data we could use to educate ourselves upon. Also, we should confirm the age of this tree, and possibly look into what was the next oldest (and is now the oldest) tree in Wilmette. Also, leave a section of the stump where it is, some trees start growing back if not entirely killed. Sure it wouldn't be able to grow back to any size near what it was, but it could sprout some sapling sized branches. If you respected it when it was large, why not respect it dead. Also, maybe a secondary plaque next to the original stating when this tree had died and how, and why it was important noting the plaque next to.

Tyler Kochman July 19, 2011 at 03:52 am

I don't mean respect it dead, I meant why not respect it small.

Therese Bach Heyek July 20, 2011 at 11:52 pm

It might be nice to have a totem pole, artistically celebrating the value of trees, sculpted from the available wood of the fallen tree.
A bench with a plaque, made from the wood of the tree, could stand in its location.