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ARTICLE APPEARING
IN THE JACKSONVILLE
DAILY NEWS, JACKSONVILLE, NC
DOT plan to cut trees angering city officials
A terrorist slams into a building filled with Americans. A mammoth
explosion follows, killing a staggering number of those inside.
Amid all the confusion and heartache, those closest to the tragedy make
a solemn vow: We will not forget.
This scenario is chillingly familiar following the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks on New York and Washington.
But the event described happened not on American soil, but in Beirut,
Lebanon. It took place not weeks, but nearly 18 years ago.
Now, a high-profile memorial for the 241 service members who lost their
lives on Oct. 23, 1983, -- the Bradford pear trees lining Lejeune
Boulevard -- is being threatened.
And city officials made it clear Wednesday they plan to fight.
The N.C. Department of Transportation notified city leaders Wednesday
that 111 of the 241 trees -- one for each service member, most from Camp
Lejeune and New River Air Station, killed in the barracks bombing --
would have to be cut down or removed to accommodate a ramp leading to
the U.S. 17 bypass. The trees to be cleared are between the Camp Johnson
entrance, where the white granite Beirut Memorial wall is located, and
Bell Fork Road.
"Putting that tie-in will actually take out some of those Bradford
pears," said Allen Pope, a DOT engineer familiar with the project, which
is slated to begin in February.
"We have made the commitment that we will replace the trees that we take
out."
City leaders say that's not good enough.
"I told (City Manager Ken Hagan) to immediately get our staff to contact
the DOT and to tell them to back up and punt," said Mayor George Jones.
Jones said he understood the highway improvements were in the interest
of public safety.
"At the same time, those memorial trees mean an awful lot to a lot of
people in the community and all over the nation," he said.
"It's just trees to (the DOT). They don't understand the significance of
this."
For many, the trees symbolize more than just the fallen service members.
While the bombing, of course, had a devastating impact on the area, the
healing process forged an emotional bond between Jacksonville and the
nearby military installations. The entities rallied together to raise
funds for the trees and memorial wall. Many, including civilians,
adopted a Bradford pear tree to show their support.
With so much invested in the trees, Jones and others questioned why so
many had to be taken down.
"We were a little shocked and surprised that they would take 111," said
Doris Downs, chairman of the Beirut Memorial Committee.
"We would like for the DOT to meet with us and tell us why the 111 and
where."
Pope explained that a pull-off area had to be built on the side of the
road, necessitating the removal of the trees.
Several strategies for transplanting the trees have surfaced since the
DOT announcement. One involves replanting as many trees as possible to
area residents' yards.
But Jones wants the trees to stay on Lejeune Boulevard.
"I'm not trying to throw cold water on that idea," he said. "But there's
plenty of room on Lejeune Boulevard."
Officials have estimated the cost of relocating the trees will be $300
to $400 apiece.
"You're talking about a lot of money," said Jacki Huneycutt, a member of
the Beirut Memorial Committee. "Who's going to pay for that? Our tax
money?"
Another concern is the survival of the trees.
Mike Ellzey, a city engineer and member of the Beirut Memorial
Committee, said some trees will inevitably have to be cut down because
their roots are entangled with underground power lines.
And Pope explained that Bradford pears are susceptible to wind damage
because of their shallow roots. Several Bradford pears were damaged
after Hurricane Bertha in 1996.
"Transplanting is probably not an option, because the trees are so old,"
he said. "We could transplant the trees, but they would not have a very
good survival rate."
The DOT has said it will replace the trees when construction ends in
2003, which is another sticking point for Jones. He wants the DOT to
transplant the trees before construction begins.
He said the community has faced a similar situation.
In the early 1990s, the DOT wanted to cut down the Bradford pears near
the Camp Johnson entrance during a road widening project.
"I can't recall anything in this community that raised as much furor,
with the exception of what happened on Sept. 11 and the Beirut bombing
itself," Jones said.
Jones and a Board of Transportation member spearheaded a successful
campaign to convince then-Gov. Jim Martin to transplant the trees rather
than destroy them.
"I'm hopeful that we can do something like that again," Jones said.
For now, the situation has many worried that a staple of the community
could be permanently tarnished.
"It's a sad thing to think about the trees not being out there," Downs
said.
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