"Tree City?"
A few years ago Granville was selected by The National Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters as one of America’s "Tree Cities."
What a difference a few years makes. With some dramatic tree-cutting on Newark-Granville Road near the eastern boundary of the village and now on part of South Main Street, Granville appears to be running the risk of having its "Tree City" dismantled street by street by a subcontractor for AEP.
The designation was a national recognition of the importance of trees to overall community quality of life.
The National Arbor Day Foundation has found the Tree City designation itself can impact potential business development within the community as prospective businesses regard the Tree City status as an indication that the quality of life may be better than in other communities.
AEP has announced their intent to cut back trees throughout the village by the end of fall. AEP is being asked to speak with Village Council about the currently planned tree cutting and about the potential for burying electrical service. Village staff is trying to arrange for an AEP representative to be available at the regular September 16, 2009, Village Council meeting.
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trees
A great tree to use which is used by many city’s is the Ivory Silk Lilac (Syringa Reticulata) It is often used under power lines and near roads. It is very hardy and does not get very high. Do not take my word for it. Do a Google search and you will see that many city’s talk about using this tree as part of their city planning.
poor planning
i remember when they planted those trees pictured above, and i am quite sure those power lines were firmly in place at that time.
now i am no super genius but i caught myself thinking, these trees would no doubt end up getting massacred some day because they were planted UNDER THE POWER LINES.
the remainder of the once promising Oak trees should now be cut down out of respect for the trees themselves. what remains is unsightly at best.
pitty no one noticed that they were planting the trees UNDER THE POWER LINES.
kung foo maple
the trimming of the trees is comes from the
old art of BONZI from japan
a ” kung foo maple ”
kung fu
Kung Fu not Japanese, Shaolin Chinese. Very important sect. Bonsai not spelled with a Z. I Get the joke and you were kidding right? Because some folks care. Culture is important. Don’t hurt me! Just asking politely. Like the folks I talked to at the IGA a while back who talked about Machu Pichu and Buenos Aires being in the same place. Uh,.. Yes. Both in South America if thousands of miles and totally different climatology (different coasts!) culture and everything else make no difference.
GVILLES BONZIED OAK ( an ohio slang term )
bob my experience with bonsai
has been with japanese folks
most of my friends growing up where
japanese in los angeles
they take there gardening to another level
but here in gville its the bonzied oak
or the fabulous bonzied maple
and yes I AM A JOKER
Bonzi
Thanks. Relieved! I knew it all along.
proper size of trees
but seriously
lets cut the trees down
and plant trees that dont grow into the lines
pretty simple fix
Bonzi
After riding by that tree by the carwash a few times I have decided to Christen it the “Karate Kid Tree” because it looks like it is trying to pull the “Crane” posture move.
A balancing test
A balancing test is required: the need for reliable electricity vs. the need for a environmentally sound and aesthetically pleasing environment.
The balancing test is currently controlled by the powwer company and their regulators. The result is a bias toward their concerns. The bias includes the regulator prohibiting putting power lines underground unless you pay extortionate rates charged by the power company.
The scale needs to tip to neutrality.
It won't happen often...
…of that I am certain. But I agree.
So much for Tree City
We have a problem when one cannot distinguish Granville trees from AEP poles… How unfortunate! A very bad neighbor, indeed.
having a plan
and may i also add
this talk about putting the lines underground has been talked about for years
JUST DO IT
its not aeps problem
ITS A VILLAGE PLANNING PROBLEM
AEP is not a good neighbor
I know what you are saying. However the way I remember it the sticking point was AEP would not let the work be contracted out to anyone but them and their cost was fraudulently high.
The bottom line is AEP is a not very neighborly company.
But I think the council should really push to get this done. Are there any AEP people in the area who might be able to help on this? To help prevent their neighbors property from being devalued?
Whiners
AEP is not in the neighbor business. AEP seeks to transmit electricity safely and reliably.
My guess is that after the next ice storm the tree huggers will appreciate the heat, lights, freezer and power lines safely running above the newly trimmed trees.
Of course, the tree huggers will still complain about the loss of their precious trees (planted in the right of way and subject to REMOVAL at any time) and the phantom loss of property values.
AEP needs to upgrade equipment and embrace real solutions
We certainly want AEP to be able to provide reliable electricity. If only buzz-cutting trees would do it…
AEP needs to upgrade their equipment (they are notorious in the industry for lack of equipment maintenance/replacement) and they need to embrace rather than actively oppose steps like placing electrical service wires underground. Until they take those steps truly reliable electricity will be an unachieved dream.
Stop whining about whining and help the economy, go buy a generator.
TruckerHal
Real solutions, real rate increases
I’ve got the generator along with a freezer full of venison, walleye and perch. The garden came in quite well this year with plenty of green beans (over 40 quarts so far) with tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, onions in plentiful supply.
AEP will embrace real solutions and upgrading equipment as soon you are prepared to accept meaningful rate increases. Please, start a petition asking AEP to increase rates. If possible, seek to alter Ohio law to create a special utility district for Grahnville. You could mandate specific underground utilities and tree policies (last time I checked trees have roots, so when the roots grow into the power lines, the entire tree is removed - but I’m certain Truckin tree huggin Hal has an alternative strategy to protect the trees.)
I’ll keep my powder dry and my 12 gauge resting comfortably next to my Bible that I’ll be reading with my generator provided electricity during the next power outage.
See you at the Ducks Unlimited banquet in October.
Real Solns and PS to another comment
Seven Pines: You have it right! I along with you will keep the Venison, Walleye, Perch, Garden stuff (delete the cucumbers and beets in my case and add red cabbage, potatoes, broccoli and free range eggs and birds)the dry powder, 12 GA and Bible. All good. Now, can we find a way to run a generator with an American made bicycle? Or treadmill, or….well…lots of activity in houses results in the release of large quantities of energy. (no I don’t grow all that stuff in town and you have had a better harvest I’m sure and I’m also sure you have more venison and fish. I have use of land in the township and beasts ate most of the cabbage!)Good solar year. Don’t need my generator but house and out buildings are wired. Do we really need to call it Grahnville?
Real solutions redux
I’ve been off the grid at my home place for just over ten years and I don’t miss the bills from AEP one bit.
Again, I say…if you want more, pay more. My system cost me just over $20,000 ten years ago. How many villagers would swallow that cost? (Lucky for me, I don’t have to ask permission to hang my solar panels.)
Redux
I am impressed.
Not that I deserve to, but I would really like to see that system some time; and your whole spread. My system cost a little bit less in adjusted dollars and including incentives which were contingent upon a grid-interactive agreement that I recently signed over to myself exclusively. Still have (much smaller) bills. System delivery was seamless after Ike storm but we had lots of sun that week. Permission issue was a good deal to get folks thinking. A good experience overall. Lots of support. Thanks for sharing. Lots of villagers I’m sure would be willing to eventually pony up the bucks. There’s alot of newer
tech. out there also. Concentrators for commercial apps. are some of the more exciting and interesting IMHO. I sell solar-thermal, but it takes a foundry to make a fitting. Still very marketable already to the right customers.
The problem with monopolies
Buknut/sevenpines,
I don’t want to go off on a tangent here but this is the problem with monopolies. If AEP faced any competition, they would have buried power lines, I don’t know, 50 years ago. As it is, they have no incentive. Stringing power lines above ground is the cheapest route to go and when you can charge whatever you want, why would you increase your costs if you don’t have to? I’m all about capitalism but it completely fails when there is only one player in the game. AEP can make Big Oil profits for all I care if I had a choice not to go with them. I don’t have that choice. Tree roots are not a problem with buried lines (fiber optic cables are buried everyday and are much more fragile than heavy copper wire) and I daresay you never bothered to check that.
If you had taken the time to bring a cup of coffee to some of the Canadian crews that came down south of the border to help out with our little heat problem, you might have learned that AEP is using technology those silly Canucks abondoned 20 years ago. Funny that they seem to turn a tidy profit and their grid is 10 fold more reliable than ours. Just FYI.
Want more? Then pay more...
As I stated earlier, please, petition state government for a special Grahnville utility district where only villagers pay the increased costs for beautiful utility lines underground with more reliable technology. We enjoy the lowest energy rates in the developed world. I’d like to keep my commercial rates low and not be forced to subsidize pretty streets with higher commercial rates.
I like pretty streets as much as the next guy. Pay more to get more.
Government is the problem, not solution
Can’t build new coal burning power plants.
Can’t build new nuclear plants.
Not government related but:
Don’t have flowing water massive enough for hydro power.
AEP likes it that way, it gives them unlimited authority in the power generation market. Contrary to the “regulated” rates, AEP is charging a premium for their services. It’s all sleight of hand, you know it and I know it.
Buried power lines are safer, require less maintenance, and don’t require the cost of pruning services. A long term strategy would be more profitable, even with their leverage as a monopoly power.
EDIT: What is unfortunate is that it will require government intervention to turn things right again. New power lines should ALWAYS be buried. AEP will whine and complain and present a fancy Power Point presentation on how they must increase rates to stay profitable. They will threaten loss of jobs, cuts in maintenance, more frequent power outages. I call them on their bluff. If they fail, market correction will take place and a new player would fill the gap providing safer, more reliable generation and delivery. And they will be profitable. Look north for proof of this.
Conservation
Good pics with this article.
Wish that conservation could be a larger part of the discussion of this issue in all venues. Coal, Nuclear, Hydro, Solar, etc.; none of these can have anywhere near the immediate impact on energy issues as conservation.
But to talk about this we have to quit putting our faith, money, effort and future hopes into paradigms that just can’t work long-term. Corporatized/Globalized models of “Capitalism” (which they are not)based upon enormous extraction (read up on how many thousands of tons of raw materials go into the stuff in the average US home)and exploitation of third world populations are destroying the world and concentrating wealth and delivering wealth transfer at rates that are truly fascinating.There will be no salvation of the system with “Green Technology.” Use it as much as you can, but don’t expect and bet on keeping some infinite growth paradigm that is oblivion.
The earth is not getting much larger as far as I can tell. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there is abiotic oil we can suffocate ourselves with. I love petro-world. I love cars and motorcycles and airplanes. Fast ones make me laugh out loud with pure joy. But this is a short epoch. Let’s try to more carefully use the half of the oil that is left while designing permaculture-based systems that go alot farther than unlimited consumerism. Otherwise we will mine the suburbs and then the landfills and starve nonetheless.
How do we do this when Goldman-Sachs owns the world, China is our holding company and every politician is a total careerist rather than public servant? I have no solution. I’m not that smart. But somebody is. Collectively we are.
tree city ( with a flat top )
hip hip hurray
again for the planning of this nightmare
Horrific
I don’t doubt the need for AEP to keep trees from coming into contact with high voltage lines and to keep to a minimum electrical outages but the massacre on South Main Street is crazy. East part of Newark-Granville Road is the same. If AEP succeeds in doing this everywhere you can kiss goodbye to a lot of the value of your home.