Document text
75 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 26, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 26, 2005 Donna Taylor of WinterSpring and Medford city arborist Bill Harrington stand in the Memorial Grove at Donahue-Frohnmayer Park, where one of eight old oak trees was cut down over the weekend. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Tree at memorial grove falls to vandals By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune One of eight old oaks that sheltered people as they remembered loved ones at WinterSpring Memorial Grove was toppled by a vandal’s saw over the weekend. The 75-year-old oak in Donahue-Frohnmayer Park was discovered by Medford city staff Sunday. "We’re just floored by this," said Donna Taylor, executive director of WinterSpring Center for Living with Loss and Grief, which offers counseling for adults and children in bereavement and helped create the memorial. Medford police are investigating the crime, which they believe took place Saturday night. "It’s just a senseless act of vandalism," said Bill Harrington, Medford’s city arborist. He said the tree had been cut down with a handsaw. Advertisement Harrington said the healthy Oregon white oak, with a 14½ -inch diameter, was worth $9,000 to $12,000. The tree is the property of the city and Harrington is looking into filing an insurance claim. "These are assets of the community — they belong to all of us," said Harrington. Taylor said the beautiful old tree helped create a special place for people who come to the memorial grove seeking comfort during bereavement. The 1½ -acre memorial was created in spring 2002 as a quiet place for reflection with a Wall of Remembrance made of stones inscribed with names. It is in the northwest corner of the park, located at Spring Street and Springbrook Road. Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said he’s seen cases of vandalism in which trees and landscaping were damaged, but cutting down a big tree is an unusual crime. He said the value of the tree makes the crime a felony, and there could be an added charge of class C misdemeanor for abusing a public monument. "This isn’t just a little prank, it’s an offensive act," he said. Taylor said the tree, which helped create a protected spot around a memorial bench, will be missed. "It sure left a hole in the canopy," she said, looking up at a gap between the branches of the remaining trees. Harrington agreed. "Not in our lifetime will you ever get a tree to fill in that area," he said. The vandalism comes a month before WinterSpring’s seventh annual Seasons of the Heart, scheduled for May 29 at the grove. Taylor said the memorial grove has seen graffiti and some minor vandalism in the past, but not of this magnitude. She said many people who have taken part in services at the grove have volunteered to patrol the park. For more information or to volunteer, call Taylor at 772-2527. Moran said parks are closed to the public between 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. (lit sports events are exceptions), and he urges the public to report anyone in violation of the park curfew to non- emergency dispatch at 770-4783. Also, the police will offer a reward to anyone providing information leading to an arrest on the grove vandalism. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Advertisement s