Forty years ago, when we moved to Sunnyvale, the liquidambar tree in our parkway was a spindly little thing about 5 feet tall. Now it is a monstrous 30-plus feet tall, with roots that push up the sidewalk and get into the water drains.

Our sidewalk has been replaced twice, and public works has been called three times to cut the tree roots under the street.

There are pretty red leaves in the fall and tens of thousands of spiky balls in the winter.

March 14 was a windy day. My neighbor and I spent about an hour cleaning up the spiky balls from our yards and our street. We have to do this about five times or more a year.

The city now only sweeps our street on the second Friday of each month.

Time for deforestation.

Robert E. Harms

Sunnyvale