`Council barks at carving in tree; misunderstanding at root of it all`

By Hal Johnson
Herald Writer

Clyde Daugherty thought he was doing the town a favor by carving a picture of a bearded man into a tree next to the Mercer post office.

Chipping away during the Victorian Days festival in late July, the Coolspring Township wood carver did it at no charge.

But a lot of callers to the borough building gave the carving mixed reviews. Some said it was art. Others said it ruins the tree.

Daugherty said he got permission from an assistant postmaster, but later discovered that the tree was not on the Mercer post office property. It was on the street right-of-way and belonged to the borough.

Not wanting to look like saps, council Tuesday night told the wood carver, nice job but don’t do it again.

“We got a lot of phone calls. We got quite a few complaints and there were people who liked it a lot,” said Debbie Scruci, borough secretary.

Denise Jones, 465 E. Venango St., Mercer, said she liked the wood carving so much she wanted Daugherty to do the same on a tree near her house. But like the tree at the post office, the Jones tree was in the street right-of-way and fell under a “branch” of local government. The tree committee of council leafed through its Shade Tree Ordinance and council interpreted a wood carving as something that would maim a tree on borough property. That’s a violation of the local law. So council cut down Mrs. Jones’ request.

Believing she got a hatchet job, Mrs. Jones said she and not the borough cuts the grass around the tree. “We’re the ones that take care of it. I can’t see why we can’t put something there that would enhance it,” she said.

Her mother-in-law planted that tree 65 years ago, she said.

Mrs. Jones said she may have Daugherty carve a picture into a tree that’s not on borough property. That would keep her away from council’s bark.

Daugherty said the wood carving will not hurt the tree. One side of tree bark was removed, leaving enough bark for sap to flow throughout the tree, he said. He said he also put a sealant on the wood carving to prevent insects and diseases from getting into the tree.

The tree and the wood carving should be in front of the Mercer post office for a long time, he said.

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Updated August 13, 1999
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