Saturday, July 25, 2026

Washington Park Loses Another Tree

At 7:00 a.m. this morning, work began on removing the tree at the corner of Union and West Court streets, in the park in front of the courthouse. These pictures were taken by Gossips about a half an hour into the process.


These pictures, provided by readers, were taken at various points later on in the process.

Photo: Verity Smith
Photo: Verity Smith
Information received by Gossips is that the tree had reached the end of its life and had to come down. That is not an opinion universally shared.

Back in 2021, when two other trees in the park--a maple tree along West Court Street and an ancient locust on Union Street--were cut down, this tree was pruned. 

Photo: Bill Huston
But today was its turn to be felled.

The County frequently removes trees from Washington Park, but the trees lost are never replaced. 


When the first courthouse--the first of three--stood on this site, there was order and pattern to the trees in the park.


That is not so today.


As the trees in the park are removed, it would be nice if there were a plan for replacing them, one that brought symmetry and design back to the park, as well as desirable shade.
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5 comments:

  1. Peter MeyerJuly 25, 2026 at 2:20 PM

    Both the City and County have committees supposedly interested in trees. Both were presented with proposals from yours truly a couple years ago to institute an Adopt-a-Tree program to help provide maintenance and basic care for trees like the elegant beauty that got taken down today. Nada. Not even the promise of a notice to alert the public of a death sentence pronounced on such a tree. I talked to several folks who pronounced this chainsaw massacre "a shame." It should be a crime.

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    1. Tassilo Max von ParsevalJuly 25, 2026 at 10:21 PM

      Interestingly, trees was one of the two issues that got me interested in Hudson politics (the other being the haul road).

      At the time I didn't see the CAC as the enemy, and I still can't imagine it would be. Instead, I approached the BEA and asked them to consider a budget increase for the Hudson CAC which at the time was (and still is) running on a pittance. It included a handful of suggestions how that increase could be funded. At the end of the day, it came to nothing and went nowhere.

      Trees are this weird thing that everyone intuitively recognizes as universally beneficial and good to any community, yet it remains at best an afterthought - if even that.

      This roughly coincided with the tree ordinance that was well-meaning but probably perceived as yet another fee on homeowners. I am actually not sure if that was ever passed.

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  2. BILLJuly 25, 2026 at 3:42 PM

    No crime at all. Smart move! That tree lost a huge limb about two years ago, much of which landed on the sidewalk and could easily have immediately killed a person or two, maybe a dog. There was a hole about 15 feet up that tree that was clear evidence of decay inside, probably allowing squirrels to live in it. That tree should have come down over a year ago. Sorry. Not a crime or shame! Smart move. Send an email to Matt Murell and all the supervisors demanding that the tree be replaced and cared for properly. Remind them that Hudson is the county seat. Be sure to include Linda Mussman, Abdus Miah and our other supervisors.

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  3. Peter MeyerJuly 25, 2026 at 9:07 PM

    No Bill, as smart as you think you are, that tree should not have come done over a year ago, it should have been taken care of ten years ago. Your attitude is stupid think. We need trees. Let's take care of them.

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    1. BILLJuly 25, 2026 at 10:25 PM

      So, since the tree wasn't taken care of, as you acknowledge, Peter, it should have remained when it was dead or dying and dangerous? I know that be illogical dumb think. You can't maintain dead anything. Get over what didn't happen in the past. If possible, try to correct it. Pick a fight with Matt Murell, not me.

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