Crabapple Tree

On Nat. Register

Your readers may like to know that the 150 year-old flowering crabapple tree which forms the centerpiece of the greensward fronting the municipal building on Summer Street in Randolph has now been listed by the American Forests National Register of Big Trees in Washington, D.C.

Last year the state forester from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation measured and assessed the tree, and the Vermont Tree Society recognized the crab apple as a significant tree of its species and should be preserved. The information was relayed to the National Register of Big Trees who have now cited the crab apple.

Also last year the Randolph tree warden, after a hearing, decided that the crabapple should be destroyed to make way for a greatly expanded design for the municipal building addition. This new design would be built over the whole of the green. The tree warden's decision was upheld by the selectboard when a number of residents appealed that decision.

In a recent county court ruling, the selectboard's confirmation of the tree warden's decision was found to be flawed because the decision was made in a closed executive session in violation of the open meeting principle.

On Oct. 10 the selectboard will hold a new hearing on the issue. All who value open green spaces and trees in the village center ought to attend and take a part in helping to preserve this historic and cultural relic in our village-scape. The meeting is warned for 6 p.m. at the Randolph Technical Career Center on Forest Street.

Leigh Wright

Randolph