Trees

A storm that blew through the Tri-State region Friday afternoon knocked down some trees and power lines in Washington County, a 911 dispatcher said. Jefferson County, W.Va., also had scattered trees and wires down, a dispatcher there said. Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer's Web site reported that .15 inches of rain fell and the top wind speed was 53 mph, at 3:55 p.m. The National Weather Service issued a statement Friday night that strong thunderstorms, with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, were on their way to the region.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Work is ready to begin on widening and resurfacing a 2.4-mile stretch of Country Club Road in Washington Township, Pa., on a route lined by ancient trees, many of which will have to be cut down to make room for the wider roadway. The idea of destroying trees that are centuries old is not sitting well with some of Country Club Road property owners, but state highway department engineers say it's necessary to remove the trees for safety reasons.

People have a way of categorizing things and making sharp distinctions. We plant our flower gardens here, our trees over there, and our vegetable gardens, well, some place out of the way so we won't notice those pesky weeds, which are so hard to keep under control in late summer. But nature is rarely so clear in its distinctions. Species tend to exist in complex communities, vying for space, water and nutrients. These complex communities tend to be healthier and more self-sustaining than our system of growing plants of a kind together, exclusive of others.

In late December, in the wake of the storm that didn’t give us the snow that was predicted but did deliver the winds, I took a woodland walk with my family. As we stepped outside, the effects of the wind could be heard and seen, roaring through and tossing the tops of the trees with great vigor. At ground level, though, it was much more calm. We sauntered along the path, enjoying the sunshine, which has seemed too-often absent lately. As we approached the western boundary, which runs along open pasture and cropland, we suddenly felt the full force of the wind.

The ABC Professional Tree Services is trimming trees along Allegheny Energy power lines.

scottb@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN - The City of Hagerstown is taking steps to reduce the chances of a repeat of the power problems it had following a recent ice storm. Some trees fell on power lines in the city during the Dec. 11 storm, causing power outages. The city is going to pay a contractor to trim trees and, in some cases, remove trees entirely, that are in the public right-of-way in the Carroll Heights neighborhood, city Light Manager Michael Spiker said.

Trees and other debris were blocking some lanes of travel on Franklin County, Pa., roads, particularly in the hard-hit St. Thomas and Fort Loudon areas, according to 911 dispatchers. However, no roads in Franklin County were completely closed at 5:15 p.m., dispatchers said. St. Thomas Fire Department had crews out evaluating problem spots, according to personnel on station. No vehicle collisions were reported in Franklin County related to the storm as of 5:15 p.m., dispatchers said.

Planting areas for trees became a last-minute add-on to a parking lot rehabilitation project in the Borough of Waynesboro on Wednesday. Susan D'heedene, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, asked the Waynesboro Borough Council to make changes to a parking lot project already under way. Maintenance crews recently started preparation work for next week's paving of the church lot, which is open to public parking under a lease agreement. D'heedene asked for cuts to be made in sections where trees can be planted.

Volunteers are needed for a tree planting from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 13, at at the Antietam Meadow Park, a community natural area park located near Waynesboro. Antietam Watershed Association, in partnership with Washington Township and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, is working to maintain a riparian forest buffer planting on the Antietam Creek. Learn from professional foresters how to plant trees and what trees are well-suited for streamside plantings. The group will plant more than 800 trees at the site.

The Arbor Day Foundation has a booklet that helps people identify trees in a simple, step-by-step process. The booklet, “What Tree Is That?” is available for a $5 donation to the nonprofit tree-planting organization. The booklet is an easy-to-use tree identification guide that features hand-drawn botanical illustrations highlighting the distinctive characteristics of many tree species. Nature lovers and professional arborists alike have called the pocket field guide one of the most user-friendly resources to have.

The Arbor Day Foundation has a booklet that helps people identify trees in a simple, step-by-step process. The booklet, “What Tree Is That?” is available for a $5 donation to the nonprofit tree-planting organization. The booklet is an easy-to-use tree identification guide that features hand-drawn botanical illustrations highlighting the distinctive characteristics of many tree species. Nature lovers and professional arborists alike have called the pocket field guide one of the most user-friendly resources to have.

The deadline to enter the annual Eastern Panhandle big tree contest is Aug. 1, the Eastern Panhandle Conservation District announced Wednesday. The individual who submits the winning entry for the largest tulip poplar tree this year will receive $500 and a copy of the poem “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer from Del. John Overington, R-Berkeley, who has sponsored the contest since 2009. The winner, who also can designate their winnings to a charity of his or her choice, will be recognized at the Eastern Panhandle Conservation District's fall banquet.

A Hagerstown man was killed Saturday morning when his vehicle struck a tree near the 9-mile marker on Interstate 81, according to a Berkeley County Sheriff's Office news release. Joseph H. Younkins, no age given, was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said. At about 8:35 a.m., Younkins' vehicle left the southbound lanes of I-81 and continued driving straight until the vehicle struck a tree, deputies said, citing their preliminary investigation and accounts from witnesses. The cause of the crash currently is undetermined.

The Arbor Day Foundation is offering a handy tree-care booklet designed to help people plant and care for trees. Anyone can receive “Conservation Trees,” a user-friendly booklet featuring illustrations, colorful photos and easily-understood descriptions, by making a $3 donation to the foundation this month. To receive the  booklet, send a $3 check along with your name and address to: “Conservation Trees,” Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410, or order online at arborday.org/conservationtrees .

Potomac Edison will spend $55 million this year in an effort to limit power outages in Maryland and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, company officials said Tuesday. James V. Fakult, vice president of Potomac Edison and president of FirstEnergy's Maryland Operations, said about a third of the money, about $17 million, will be used to trim trees to keep them from falling onto power lines in Washington, Allegany, Frederick and Garrett counties in Maryland, and in Berkeley County in West Virginia.

The Waynesboro Shade Tree Commission will host a tree-trimming workshop Saturday at 10 a.m. at 137 S. Phillips Ave. It is a hands-on demonstration open to anyone in the Waynesboro area. A Cumberland Valley Tree Service representative will teach attendees how to care for and trim trees until noon. An Arbor Day proclamation will be read by Waynesboro Mayor Richard Starliper at today's Waynesboro Borough Council meeting. The local library will have a display featuring the proclamation.

Officials are hoping to recruit volunteers to help plant trees Monday along East John Street in Martinsburg as part of efforts to improve the environment. The planting is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. across from Roach Energy, according to Herb Peddicord of the West Virginia Division of Forestry. Monday is recognized as Earth Day. The trees will be planted to enhance wildlife habitat along Tuscarora Creek, help filter stormwater runoff to improve water quality, make the stream bank more stable and add to the city's urban tree canopy, according to an announcement from Peddicord.

It's here. It's here. It's finally here. Spring, glorious spring, has arrived and it's time to wake up our gardens. Start with some spring cleaning. Tidy up your flower gardens by removing stalks not cut back in the fall. Rake off clumps of leaves. And feed the soil in all of your beds with an inch or so of compost.    This is a perfect time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials. Cooler spring weather gives them a chance to grow good roots before the heat hits. How deep should your planting hole be?

The Borough of Waynesboro, which is working in conjunction with Mainstreet Waynesboro Inc., recently was awarded a Pennsylvania Urban and Community Forestry Council Challenge grant for $3,500. The money will be used toward the purchase of 31 trees to be placed in the Eighth Street median, according to a news release. The borough anticipates completing the project this month. It will be planting 10 forest pansies, 11 sugar tymes and 10 ivory silks in the median, the news release stated.

Volunteers are needed for a tree planting from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 13, at at the Antietam Meadow Park, a community natural area park located near Waynesboro. Antietam Watershed Association, in partnership with Washington Township and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, is working to maintain a riparian forest buffer planting on the Antietam Creek. Learn from professional foresters how to plant trees and what trees are well-suited for streamside plantings. The group will plant more than 800 trees at the site.