Vandals Destroy 5 Young Saplings
Five newly planted tristania trees on the east side of the city were destroyed and 15 others damaged Saturday evening when vandals knocked down the stakes supporting the saplings, authorities said.
A passerby on Telephone Road near Montgomery Avenue found the toppled trees about 8 a.m. Sunday and notified police.
The evergreen, drought-resistant trees, which had been fastened to the poles to support their growth, were pulled down by the weight of the fallen stakes.
Five of the 9-foot trees were killed when their trunks snapped, authorities said. The remaining 15 were replanted by a city employee and are expected to survive.
The city had recently purchased the trees for $50 apiece.
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