|
State
Senator Charles Shannon:
"I
am pleased to be here to support the initiative of Eagle Eye
Institute, the Trees Are My Friends campaign. As a child growing
up in the projects of Cambridge, I remember how hot the summers
could get. Of course back then we didn't have air conditioning.
And one of my fondest memories is hiding under the trees near
the complex, trying to escape the oppressive heat. It always
felt good to relax under those trees.
Once
I got older, got married, I remember the trees along both
Knowl Ave and Curtis Street here in Somerville, where my wife,
my young children and I would have fond memories of our lives
in the city. I remember my two sons, who were so young at
the time, looking up at the trees along the street in utter
bewilderment, amazed at their grand size, just how small they
can make you feel…
As
your state legislator I have made a commitment to help communities
like ours to by ensuring funding to plant trees along all
our streets. We are leaving a legacy to our future generations
so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the shelter
of those big trees.
In
closing, I would just like to commend Eagle Eye Institute
for raising awareness on an issue that we usually take for
granted. This campaign will make the city a better place to
live. I appreciate all your service on behalf of the city
of Somerville, and on behalf of the Commonwealth."
|
State
Representative Patricia Jehlen on her favorite tree:
"Anthony
asked me to tell you a story about my favorite tree, and I
had to give it a lot of thought, because I've had some really
special ones, but the one I'm thinking about is in my backyard.
When
we bought our house about twenty years ago it was an abandoned
house and we thought it was haunted. There was no electricity
and no running water, and it had been empty for along time,
it was dark and scary inside, and in the backyard it was wild,
it was like a jungle. We had to go in with saws and scythes,
and try to take out all the undergrowth. And somebody… came
and said "that tree has to go, that tree is dead." It was
a pear tree, and it was hollow inside, and there were ants
taking the inside of the tree away, they were eating it from
the inside. This man said this tree will never do you any
good, and besides it's really good firewood.
But
my husband and I don't like to get rid of trees, and so we
kept that tree, and we said we'll give it a chance. And it
made really tiny ugly pears that never got soft and were really
hard and green, I've never seen any pears like them. But we
fed the tree, and we got rid of the ants, I'm embarrassed
to say by putting poison on them, but the ants died and the
tree got better, and now it gives us lots of little pears.
And I can remember once during a hurricane, my oldest son
was about in the fifth grade, and there was a hurricane coming,
and we knew that all the pears would fall on the ground and
get smushed, so instead we took a ladder and my son went way
up in the tree and way out on the limbs and took all the pears.
We had so many pears that we had to make canned pears.
And
our pear tree is still alive, and it's still hollow where
the ants ate it out, but the ants aren't there any more, and
every year it gives us pears. So I'm glad that we tried to
save that pear tree, and it sure has repaid us. If you ever
come by my house on Day street, go in the backyard, in about
a month you'll see beautiful white flowers and in the fall
you'll see slightly larger green pears, and they're pretty
good".
|
