POUGHKEEPSIE – City DPW workers were at the bottom of Main Street in Poughkeepsie on Thursday morning, preparing to cut down the large white pine tree that has resided in the center of the John Flowers Memorial Circle for quite some time. The tree removal is for the benefit of the city, according to DPW Commissioner Chris Gent.
Many residents reached out to Mid-Hudson News before the tree was removed, questioning the activity by city workers.
Mid-Hudson News was told the tree has been removed to make way for a new 25′-30′ spruce tree that is being delivered next week. “The new tree,” Gent said, “will be enjoyed by future generations.”
The new $1,500 tree and $2,000-$3,000 in costs to transport the tree from the nursery in Westchester to Poughkeepsie are being donated by the Palombo Group, a construction management firm located in Poughkeepsie.
The removed tree was chipped up and will be mixed in with the city’s mulch pile at College Hill Park.
There is speculation that the city’s Festival of Lights celebration will be moving to Waryas Park and the new tree will be decorated accordingly.
