[Winona Online Democracy]
New trees are being placed in downtown locations where previous ones have not survived, and Hugh Miller has donated two or three hundred oaks to Winona. Some of Miller's trees will be installed on the boulevards of residents (and river vicinity businesses, I hope) that request them. My house has no space for additional trees at this time, but thank you, Mr. Miller, very much.
A few years ago, WSU organized the planting of a large number of trees in the central city. Of the dozen planted on a two block section of my street, only a couple have survived due to vandalism. A similar fate undoubtedly awaits this current batch of trees, unless..... .....Crime Stoppers or a similar organization would offer a cash reward for information leading to the conviction of someone damaging or destroying a tree. The amount should be substantial, say $1,000, and the offer should be widely publicized with posters in downtown taverns and around the WSU and Saint Mary campuses and with ads in the student newspapers. Since bar patrons and house party guests tend to walk in groups after closing time, there should be enough witnesses to such vandalism to easily cash in on the offer. The effectiveness of this scheme would depend on the police and courts willingness to cooperate. The dollar amount required to purchase and install street trees might make the offense more serious than a simple misdemeanor. This should also be pointed out in publicity materials. In the past, there have been letters to the editor and newspaper photo captions lamenting these incidents after the fact. I maintain that a better approach is prevention by planting in the mind of a potential vandal that his feat of strength might be viewed by onlookers as a chance to pick up some easy money.
_______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
