Saratoga News Photograph by George Sakkestad Year in Review 1998: Year of the Tree By Dale Bryant From the landmark eucalyptus trees on the Saratoga School campus to the Italian stone pines in front of Argonaut Shopping Center, Saratogans found cause to be alarmed about the fate of trees this year. A photograph in the Jan. 14 issue of the Saratoga News foreshadowed the central role trees would play in 1998. It showed a work crew clearing debris after the 80-year-old coast live oak in front of City Hall had been felled. The magnificent oak, believed to be the model for the city's logo, had succumbed to disease. More news of trees missing from the landscape came in the Nov. 25 issue of the Saratoga News. To the outrage of many neighbors, early work on the renovation of Argonaut Shopping Center included removal of not only trees within the center, but also the Italian stone pines along the perimeter at Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road. The city had asked that an effort be made to save the trees, but the developer said a planned sidewalk would have damaged the root systems. The pivotal tree story in 1998, however, was the one that saw the Saratoga Union School District give its blessing to the removal of 10 eucalyptus trees--including two that are 75 years old--on the Saratoga School campus. The architect hired to come up with a building plan after the passage of a bond measure said the trees had to go for safety reasons. Some Saratogans--many of whom embraced fond memories of the trees as part of their own childhood experiences at the Oak Street school--led an emotional campaign to save the trees. After much negotiating, the board, responding in large part to the wishes of parents, went with an option that sacrificed trees for a regulation-size playfield. Jill Hunter (seen in the photograph above), a school board member for 10 years, resigned over the decision. There was a time when the very notion of chopping down a 75-year-old tree would have been unthinkable in Saratoga. And that's why the school board's decision may be the most important story of 1998. It seems like a story about something bigger than a few old trees and the tears that some old-timers are bound to shed when they come down. The story suggests that the population in Saratoga is growing younger, and that values may be shifting accordingly. Playfields are becoming more highly valued; more valued, perhaps, than old trees. As the new year begins, playfields loom large as residents debate the value of quiet neighborhoods at a time when sports leagues say they need more and better playfields to accommodate the growing youth population in the city. As we look ahead to the new year, the City Council--which for the first time in years includes two members with young children--will play a key role as Saratogans young and old try to make this city one that best meets their needs. Already, there's talk of changing the frequency and times of council meetings to make them more convenient for those with young children. Year in Review: A month-by-month look back at 1998. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, December 30, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.