Yankeetown Landmark Destroyed, Letter to the Editor by Ed Candela

Letter to the Editor:

re: Landmark Destroyed
            While going past 56th & Riverside recently, I discovered what "shock and awe" is.  What was once a stately, 150-year-old magnificent Live Oak is no more.  Gone is the shade for visitors' cars and photo-ops for the Garden Park.  What remains is a 3-foot diameter stump which shows absolutely NO signs of rot.  Sickening!  I guess this goes along with Yankeetown govenment's view of "improving the town" that they keep bragging about, by removing, rather than trimming trees a bit past their prime.  That goes along with repaving perfectly good streets so drivers can go faster, and mowing down small trees on the rights of way.  Now I hear that more trees along Riverside between 60th & 63rd are endangered because their roots under the pavement annoy some drivers.
            Years ago, there were spirited elections, mainly over the threat of massive development, in which this writer participated and served, putting in uncounted hours of rewriting the Town's development codes to best preserve the Town, and getting sued for the effort.  Currently, the Town government plans to undo much of that protection.  I can no longer undergo the stress, and is why I cannot stomach Council Meetings.
            If you readers agree a hand-picked, unelected Town Council is not in your best interest, and before Yankeetown becomes Crystal River 2, the Town needs to have a real election in February.  I strongly urge everyone that appreciates the Town's fast-disappearing charm to consider running for election to the Council in February.  For further discussion, email saveyt@yahoo.com.
Edward Candela
Yankeetown