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Midway oak trees on council agenda
martin road oaksweb
A large oak tree in front of Midway United Methodist Church on Martin Road recently lost a limb that blocked the road until city workers cut it up and hauled it away. No one was hurt. - photo by Photo by Pat Watkins

The oak trees that line Martin Road in Midway are expected to be discussed at that city’s council meeting Monday night.

Some of the trees recently were marked with plastic ribbons and that has concerned residents, worrying the trees may be marked for cutting.

“No decisions have been made,” city clerk Gloria Cook-Osborne said earlier this week. “The council’s expected to bring it up next week.”

She said a consulting firm was brought in to assess the trees after some recent wind and lightning damage and after some limbs had fallen and blocked the road.

The approximate half-mile of road, part of the historic “Old Sunbury Road,” is canopied by the branches of the old trees. It is one of the few remaining stretches of roads in the area lined by trees that stretch over the traveled area.

Cook-Osborne said she would hate to see anything drastic done with the trees. Even Mayor Dr. Clemontine Washington mentions the trees in her online welcome letter on the city’s website.

Cook-Osborne, however, said officials know that liability to the city could devastate its small budget if a falling limb injured anyone.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Midway Police Department on Highway 84.

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