To the Editor:

Let's be "creative," because by doing so, we can continue to make things "Nicer in Newtown."

After reading last week's editorial "Stumping For Trees," I was moved to write this letter to the editor. Thank you for your tribute and the pros and cons of Eversource' action to make our community a bit safer. Yes, safety is a very important concern while addressing progress.

I would like to bring to light a concern by local residents about a town project in which a beautiful healthy white aak tree located on Toddy Hill Road across from the Berkshire Veterinary Hospital is threatened by future road improvements at that intersection with Route 34. This oak has been evaluated by local arborists and has recently been measured by the Connecticut Notable Trees Committee (oak.conncoll.edu:8080/notabletrees/index.jsp) and will soon be listed on that website (42-inch diameter; 143-inch circumference; 80.5-foot spread; 60-foot height). Without doing an actual bore, this oak is estimated to be between 125 and 200 years old. The decision for such a beautiful specimen to be destroyed to create a path for a new intersection must not be made in haste. Have all reasonable alternatives been considered? What about putting the tree in an island? After discussions with several town officials I was surprised to find out that many did not even know that this tree existed. Residents are "stumping" for the powers that be to make things "Nicer in Newtown" by instilling some dramatic "creativity" in this project. This is a beautiful specimen.

Peter Sepe at SepeFarm.com

83 Toddy Hill Road

Sandy Hook         August 24, 2016