Last week, we reported on RIOC’s brutal cherry tree hacking, blown off as “pruning.” It was crude, unprofessional and mindless. But on follow-up, we found something worse.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
How Amateurish Neglect Made the Cherry Tree Hacking Worse
As we reported when a resident discovered a crew butchering a long row of cherry trees south of the Queensboro Bridge, the work was less than amateurish. Done at the worst possible time of the year, the so-called “pruning” was not that. Cherry tree hacking was more like it because they chopped the wrong limbs in a mindless blast of sawing.
RIOC Chopped Down a Healthy Red Maple, Then Left the Remains Rotting Along Main Street
This line of trees thrilled residents and visitors for decades but, through negligence, are at risk of survival.
Cherries are prone to disease, so be sure to clean up all the discarded remnants. Also, cover all cuts with a tree sealant to fend off disease.
Gardening Know-How
But a follow-up visit shows that the state agency that never makes a mistake compounded the damage, failing with a crucial task.
All trees, but especially fruit trees, are susceptible to invasion from disease-causing bacteria, harmful fungi and insects when left unprotected. As you can see above, no protective sealant was applied to dozens of exposed injuries.
In comparison, this is like amputating an arm or a leg and not using so much as a crude bandage. The hacked-off cherry limbs are as at risk as any living thing would be. They have internal defenses, just as we do, but not enough for a brutal event like this one.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- A new RIOC appeals officer denied records on how its general counsel was hiredA different RIOC appeals officer denied records on how RIOC hired general counsel Lance Polivy. RIOC’s internal deliberations on the hire stay withheld.
- Monday’s PSD blotter: two hospital transports, two disputesRIOC’s Nov. 9 PSD blotter lists 14 incidents, including four aided calls with two hospital transports and a verbal dispute at 750 Main Street that drew FDNY.
- Flushing Spa Murder: Man Charged After Woman Found Stabbed to DeathFlushing spa murder investigation leads to a murder charge against a 54-year-old man after a woman was found fatally stabbed in a Queens storefront.
- Sunday’s blotter: four medical calls, three non-criminal investigationsRIOC’s Nov. 8 PSD blotter lists 19 incidents, including four aided calls (two hospital transports) and three Investigation Non-Criminal entries at 465, 580 and 546 Main Street.
- NYC Code Blue Homeless Outreach Gets $25 Million for WinterNYC Code Blue homeless outreach receives $25 million for winter assistance. Here’s what the city has announced and what remains unclear about the funding.
Rosenthal vs. Albany: The Steam Tunnel Nobody Fixed
Buried inside that employment dispute is another story: a deteriorating steam tunnel, a fight over who would pay for it, and a warning to Albany that never resulted in a repair.
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