RIP Auburns Toomer's Corner trees, final roll in the works

[ColonelSteve]

Sad news

The SEC Logo ‏@SEC_Logo

RIP Tradition: Auburn University planning final roll of the Oaks at Toomer's Corner this April. A date for the trees removal hasn't been set

[ColonelSteve]

Auburn University has released a statement about the final rolling of the trees on Toomer's Corner:

Auburn University and the City of Auburn will host a “Celebrate the Tradition” block party at Toomer’s Corner on Saturday, April 20. The event will be held after the A-Day football game and will give fans one final opportunity to roll and photograph the beloved oak trees before the trees are removed.

A date for the trees’ removal has not been set.

“The Oaks at Toomer’s Corner have been a part of Auburn tradition for generations,” said Debbie Shaw, Auburn University vice president for alumni affairs and executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association. “Their removal will in no way diminish the Auburn Spirit, which has grown even stronger during these past two years.”

Despite extraordinary efforts to save the oak trees, members of the university’s Tree Preservation Committee say they do not see the possibility of survival.

The university’s future landscaping plans will be unveiled on A-Day. Over the past two months, more than 10,000 fans and friends of the university provided their opinions and ideas through an online survey conducted by Auburn University Campus Planning and Space Management and two landscape architecture firms – Nelson Byrd Woltz and jB+a.

“The architects are combining their expertise and experience with the terrific input from the Auburn Family to come up with a future plan that we will all be proud of,” said Dan King, assistant vice president for Auburn University Facilities Management.

To keep the tradition alive, the university and city will create structures at the College Street-Magnolia Avenue intersection that are suitable for rolling after the oaks are gone. Fans will be invited to gather there as they always have following big victories or other momentous occasions.

The block party, which is co-sponsored by the Auburn Alumni Association, will feature live music and a festive atmosphere.

“We want people to be upbeat about the future of this area,” Shaw said. “Rolling the corner is a uniquely Auburn tradition, and whether we roll trees or other structures, the camaraderie and sense of togetherness is part of what makes Auburn a special place.”


http://www.oanow.com/the_corner_news/news/article_84fdc880-6cbb-11e2-b3bb-001a4bcf6878.html

[Darrell KSR]

I tweeted pictures of Toomer's Oak on the MyKSR1 twitter account two weeks ago, when I was in Auburn for the Kentucky v Auburn game. It looked terrible then; knew it was a matter of time. Sad, sad. I know it's "just a tree," but that idiot Harvey Updyke is such a jackass it really angers me, and I'm sure it angered many more Auburn fans.

[CitizenBBN]

I tweeted pictures of Toomer's Oak on the MyKSR1 twitter account two weeks ago, when I was in Auburn for the Kentucky v Auburn game. It looked terrible then; knew it was a matter of time. Sad, sad. I know it's "just a tree," but that idiot Harvey Updyke is such a jackass it really angers me, and I'm sure it angered many more Auburn fans.

I still think the final cutting down of the tree ought to start with his hanging from it.

Of all forms of crime, I despise the senseless ones the most. At least if someone steals you can understand it. They may be desperate, may be unwilling to do honest work, but there's a motive that makes sense.

These things are just to inflict harm on others. No gain for yourself other than some sick pleasure of making others suffer. Not on the level of shooting a man just to watch him die (song lyric), but the same principle.

At least flog him tied to it. 5 or 10 lashes.

[CGWildcat]

Can you post that pic of the trees on here please?

[Darrell KSR]

Can you post that pic of the trees on here please?

I will this morning from my camera, which is a better pic.

Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.

[Darrell KSR]

Can you post that pic of the trees on here please?

From my phone. Can't find the other pic, but this will work.





1607

Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.

[bigsky]

I still think the final cutting down of the tree ought to start with his hanging from it.

Of all forms of crime, I despise the senseless ones the most. At least if someone steals you can understand it. They may be desperate, may be unwilling to do honest work, but there's a motive that makes sense.

These things are just to inflict harm on others. No gain for yourself other than some sick pleasure of making others suffer. Not on the level of shooting a man just to watch him die (song lyric), but the same principle.

At least flog him tied to it. 5 or 10 lashes.

No reason to go easy, just string him up.

[BigBluePappy]

Harvey Updike.
I can't begin to state how I feel.
Should be a public display in the stocks, with him from April 20,20113 until they cut the tree down.
I vote for letting nature take its' course.



Picture of the Dumb*ss (http://apusa.us/harvey-updyke-11413/)

[CGWildcat]

Thank you Darrell. Such a shame.

[UKHistory]

I hope they replace the trees with more trees.

No excuse to harm any living thing. Trees live and grow and to sound like an left wing eco-warrior, we don't have the right to kill it for sport.

You don't hurt people, animals, living things or property unless absolutely necessary and necessary is never, ever due to sports.

That guy makes all of Bama look horrible for his behavior.

A public flogging would do him good.

[bigsky]

Hard to replace 100 yr old trees?

[Darrell KSR]

Hmm.

[CitizenBBN]

Hard to replace 100 yr old trees?

Expensive, not impossible.

I have to assume these trees are alive enough to clone with cuttings. If so that's what they plant.

[bigsky]

That gets you a sapling after five years. You don't get a 100 yr old tree.

[Darrell KSR]

I'm sorry about the "hmm" comment...I made a post that said basically that the plan was to construct a temporary structure to accept "rolling" while they replaced the Toomer's Oaks with large trees and allowed the roots to take hold. Then I re-read the latest press release, and I saw no mention of the planting of live trees. I know that was in the plans or one of the recommendations, but at this point, I just don't know.

That's why I deleted the post, and put a "hmm" there. I still haven't checked out what they're doing exactly, but wanted to explain in the meantime.

[CitizenBBN]

That gets you a sapling after five years. You don't get a 100 yr old tree.

No but you can buy and move 100 year old trees. Not cheap, but it's been done successfully. That's what I'm talking about re just replacing them.

My overall solution would be to either build a manmade structure as Darrell described with the saplings ensconced in it in some protected way to allow them to grow, or to plant the big trees and again put in the saplings in a protected structure.

[UKHistory]

Thinking more and more how these trees have been around for at least a century of time, I am even more committed to beating that guy in public.

[Darrell KSR]

Last night after Auburn defeated Alabama 49-37.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/395762_10151415465966178_1757058363_n.jpg

[uklandrn]

This was a senseless crime. Those are truly the worst. I guess I am a sap - but I feel bad for the trees - and I feel bad for the Auburn fans. Hope they replant trees at the spot. I hate seeing traditions of my youth ruined by stupidity.

[ColonelSteve]

You know what, after the way there team is playing today, I now support what Updyke did...Auburn sucks

[CitizenBBN]

This was a senseless crime. Those are truly the worst. I guess I am a sap - but I feel bad for the trees - and I feel bad for the Auburn fans. Hope they replant trees at the spot. I hate seeing traditions of my youth ruined by stupidity.

I'm a long way from a "tree hugger" but crimes that do nothing but damage to people hack me off WAY worse than crimes that at least have some purpose. I excuse none of them but those that are just for meanness deserve far more punishment than they get.

[dan_bgblue]

Wanted to mention that I have a working knowledge of the chemical used in the crime. It is very long lived in the soil and any new plantings of any woody plants at that site would die. Only way to replace the trees in their same place would require removal of a large quantity of soil from the area (which would have to be hauled to a hazmat site for disposal) and replacing it with uncontaminated soil.

It is expensive but there are companies that dig, move, and replant mature trees wherever they are wanted. The Oaks could be replaced with 50 to 60 year old trees, but moving ones older than that has a much lower chance of survival for the trees.

[UKHistory]

Bless your heart. I think it speaks well of you to have compassion for a living thing that was sensely harmed.

I am sure you are not perfect, but your feelings make the world a better place.


This was a senseless crime. Those are truly the worst. I guess I am a sap - but I feel bad for the trees - and I feel bad for the Auburn fans. Hope they replant trees at the spot. I hate seeing traditions of my youth ruined by stupidity.

[Catfan73]

That's pretty much what I've been thinking, Dan. Since the root systems of the trees have taken in the poison, removing it all would be next to impossible. New trees 15-20 years old would be of fairly good size and would have a much better chance of survival.

The guy responsible should be sentenced to water and care for the replacements every day, even if it meant moving to Auburn.

[bigsky]

Yes it wasn't roundup, was it. The kinds of herbicides that are persistent are the ones that need genetically modified plants. You can kill a tree with weed n feed.