Old Friends

Old Friends
It’s a shame when noble, established trees come crashing down in storms like the recent nor’easters. In East Hampton Village, a small handful of trees recently blew over or were damaged to the point of being structurally unsound, and they had to be cut up and removed by state and village work crews. Thankfully, none of the fallen trees injured anyone. Thankfully, none was a rare American elm.
According to the Public Works Department, the American elm trees in East Hampton actually fare pretty well in storms like the one that blew through the village last week. The reason is that they are so rare, and so vulnerable to Dutch elm disease, that they are generally the trees that are the most meticulously maintained. And both the village and the Ladies Village Improvement Society take great pains to care for all the trees — some 3,500 of various types — and replant them when that is necessary.
The recent wind storms and the damage they inflicted might serve as a reminder to people traveling on Main Street to slow down and enjoy the foliage, especially as the colors turn at this time of year. Not every village has old friends like the ones in East Hampton.