If you live in downtown Columbia, SC, chances are you've heard screams coming out of the historical Shandon neighborhood. Scream 1: The chainsaws and wood chip machines going full bore. Scream 2: The trees that are being sliced without regard to, well... anything. Scream 3: The Shandon residents watching their neighborhood landscape get transformed by a government contract.
No doubt, there are two sides and many explanations for what's going on. Thoughts and arguments range from "They're killing the trees!", "My whole property looks different now!", "We need power, tree lover!", to "What is a Texas tree company doing with this contract?!". All thoughts, to be sure.
Given all that is going on, this post could get pretty long. That said, I should mention the drum beat of the neighborhood has halted the carving for a day while a meeting takes place tomorrow at 11 to discuss the issue.
Whether you care about this or not, I need to mention that our elected officials and some other Shandon lovers/activists have really stepped up on this. Mary Greene, Carla Moore, Tina Cundari, Seth Rose, Belinda Gergel, James Smith and John Courson, et al, have at very least stalled the action for a day so folks can get a good grip of what is actually going on.
I've heard of a few plans of action. One stall tactic is for residents to park their cars on the curbs, to give the tree cutters an obstacle to deal with. More radical plans are to file a lawsuit, let the air out of the truck tires, and/or start asking for green cards (the green card thing would be a whole 'nother boondoggle, for sure). Most are waiting to see how the meeting goes tomorrow to react accordingly.
Stay tuned!!
1 comment:
the ones bitching now will be the same ones who bitch when the winter comes and a limb falls on their power lines.
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