OK, so my town is nuts!

[PeruvianSkies]

Ok,

So a tree/wood festival is a crazy idea ...right? Well, think about this...

What would have just been a small town little affair now has web-presence as we are discussing it, now we have pictures posted about it, and GMichael has given exposure to the event. It might sound like a crazy thing, but look at how effective the idea was...it generated tons of buzz and you even took a picture with your wife next to it...so who is really nuts?????

[ForeverAutumn]

Ok,

So a tree/wood festival is a crazy idea ...right? Well, think about this...

What would have just been a small town little affair now has web-presence as we are discussing it, now we have pictures posted about it, and GMichael has given exposure to the event. It might sound like a crazy thing, but look at how effective the idea was...it generated tons of buzz and you even took a picture with your wife next to it...so who is really nuts?????

I agree with PS on this one. I think that it's a shame that they cut down what must have been big, beautiful trees but it's only a few trees and it will benefit the town in the long run. Tourists will come to see these carvings and will take picture of them.

When we were in Nova Scotia many years ago, we took a side trip to this little town called Truro. Truro didn't have much to offer tourists, so in order to attrack people they painted all of their fire hydrants as art. The hydrant in front of the church was a nun; the hydrant in front of the police station was a cop; in front of the fire hall was a fireman. Well you get the idea. They were very well done and were all over the city.

This is probably the same type of thing. It will become something that people in the area will want to see and will come to the town to visit when they otherwise might not have.

[Feanor]

I agree with PS on this one. I think that it's a shame that they cut down what must have been big, beautiful trees but it's only a few trees and it will benefit the town in the long run. Tourists will come to see these carvings and will take picture of them.

When we were in Nova Scotia many years ago, we took a side trip to this little town called Truro. Truro didn't have much to offer tourists, so in order to attrack people they painted all of their fire hydrants as art. The hydrant in front of the church was a nun; the hydrant in front of the police station was a cop; in front of the fire hall was a fireman. Well you get the idea. They were very well done and were all over the city.

This is probably the same type of thing. It will become something that people in the area will want to see and will come to the town to visit when they otherwise might not have.

Could be what they were thinking but it's stupid reasoning:

1. These things are not great works of art: if fact they are vapid and ugly. Who would come to see them?
2. Lots of people will criticize the town for cutting down trees and at least as many will avoid the place on that account as will go to see them.
3. What are the consequences of a misjudgement? It took a day or two to cut down the trees and a couple of weeks to do the carving. But if you want the trees back it will take 50 years to replace them.

Most often this sort of thing happens because the mayor's nephew needs a summer job, or something like that.

[ForeverAutumn]

Could be what they were thinking but it's stupid reasoning:
These things are not great works of art: if fact they are vapid and ugly. Who would come to see them?

Art is subjective and that's your opinion. You're welcome to it but I don't think that you can speak for everyone. It appears to me that whoever sculpted those tree trunks is quite talented.

Who would go to see painted fire hydrants for that matter. Well...my husband and I did. So there.

Lots of people will criticize the town for cutting down trees and at least as many will avoid the place on that account as will go to see them.

Yes, lot's of people will criticize the town. I don't like that they did it, but it wouldn't keep me from visiting. I doubt that anyone who was planning on visiting this town is going to actually cancel their trip because the town cut down a few trees. If there are people like that, you can probably count them on one hand. I'll bet that more people will come to see the sculptures then will cancel their trip because of them.

What are the consequences of a misjudgement? It took a day or two to cut down the trees and a couple of weeks to do the carving. But if you want the trees back it will take 50 years to replace them.[/LIST]

True, it will take years to replace the trees. But it doesn't look to me like there's a real tree shortage in the neighbourhood. "The consequences of misjudgement"? Isn't that a little dramatic?

I don't know this for a fact, but I'm willing to bet that the town recycled the tree-tops somehow. Where do you think telephone poles come from? Do you have any wood furniture in your house? Heck, we burn a cord of wood a year to heat our house. It's cheaper and cleaner then relying on the local nuke plant.

You make it sound like they're clear cutting the whole town.

[GMichael]

All of the trees that were cut down were along the same road. This whole area of town is owned by one family. They also own a popular restaurant and shopping area (all nick nacks and antiques). Trees are of plenty in this area. I doubt that anyone from outside the town would notice that these were cut down last week. Heck, even most of the people who do live in town wouldn't notice. We did, only because it's where we take our daily walk each evening. Most people would only see that there is now a sculpture there and would never know that it once was a tree stump. Of coarse, if anyone were to buy a wooden sculpture, it would have been a tree at one point as well. Stump or not. I guess that this way keeps people from stealing them.

[Feanor]

All of the trees that were cut down were along the same road. This whole area of town is owned by one family. They also own a popular restaurant and shopping area (all nick nacks and antiques). Trees are of plenty in this area. I doubt that anyone from outside the town would notice that these were cut down last week. Heck, even most of the people who do live in town wouldn't notice. We did, only because it's where we take our daily walk each evening. Most people would only see that there is now a sculpture there and would never know that it once was a tree stump. Of coarse, if anyone were to buy a wooden sculpture, it would have been a tree at one point as well. Stump or not. I guess that this way keeps people from stealing them.

This debate is ALL your fault, GM, so bear with me.

I'll bet the rich family is burning the timbre for fire wood as we speak, but I bet the town paid to cut down the trees.

They might not be stolen but they'll likey attract graffiti.

[GMichael]

This debate is ALL your fault, GM, so bear with me.

I'll bet the rich family is burning the timbre for fire wood as we speak, but I bet the town paid to cut down the trees.

They might not be stolen but they'll likey attract graffiti.

You just had to say BEAR, didn't you?

[Feanor]

Art is subjective and that's your opinion. You're welcome to it but I don't think that you can speak for everyone. It appears to me that whoever sculpted those tree trunks is quite talented.

Who would go to see painted fire hydrants for that matter. Well...my husband and I did. So there.
...
You make it sound like they're clear cutting the whole town.

A healthy tree chopped down is one too many.

Yep, it's my opinion the tree sculptures are "vapid and ugly" and I'll bet I'm not only one who thinks so. Any talent involved is of a low rung. It's the role of the critic to call it the way he sees it, and that's my call.

Some people are intreged by anything novel. Well, we have a few of these tree sculptures here in London so they're not even novel from my perspective. (The ones here are a bit less ugly but about as vapid.)

If the Truro folks get fed up with the fire hydrants the problem can be fixed with a case of spray paint. I rest my case on that one.

Agent 'K' in Men in Black ...

A person can be smart, but people are stupid.

[GMichael]

A healthy tree chopped down is one too many.

Yep, it's my opinion the tree sculptures are "vapid and ugly" and I'll bet I'm not only one who thinks so. Any talent involved is of a low rung. It's the role of the critic to call it the way he sees it, and that's my call.

Some people are intreged by anything novel. Well, we have a few of these tree sculptures here in London so they're not even novel from my perspective. (The ones here are a bit less ugly but about as vapid.)

If the Truro folks get fed up with the fire hydrants the problem can be fixed with a case of spray paint. I rest my case on that one.

Does this mean that you aren't coming to visit?

[ForeverAutumn]

A healthy tree chopped down is one too many.

So I guess you have no wood furniture in your house and you've never had a real Christmas tree.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not anti-tree. I'm not disputing your position, you're entirely entitled to think that way and I'm not even venturing to change your mind. In fact I agree that the town probably could have found a better way to decorate this road side. I just think that it's unrealistic to think that we shouldn't ever chop down a healthy tree.

What I would have liked to see the town do (and it's not too late) if they're gonna cut down these trees, is to plant new ones to replace them.

[GMichael]

OK, before we all go too far, (we are friends here ya know) these trees were very close to the road. My guess is that they were starting to get involved with the power lines a little too often. Also, behind me, when I took these pics, is a huge Park. There are trees a plenty. In fact, much of PA is Park land where trees enjoy protection from hunters. Just as Yogi does.
I just thought it was ironic that a wood festival would be celebrated by chopping down trees. I would have thought that it would have been a bunch of tree huggers getting together to talk about how to save the African rain forests. That's what I get for thinking. This thread was only meant to make people laugh at how ironic it all sounded.

[GMichael]

Ok,

So a tree/wood festival is a crazy idea ...right? Well, think about this...

What would have just been a small town little affair now has web-presence as we are discussing it, now we have pictures posted about it, and GMichael has given exposure to the event. It might sound like a crazy thing, but look at how effective the idea was...it generated tons of buzz and you even took a picture with your wife next to it...so who is really nuts?????

I thought that everyone here already knew that I was nuckin futs.
The town is also a little off. But they are harmless. OK, mostly harmless. We do get a ton of tourists every weekend. This quiet town, that looks half dead Monday through Thursday, is booming every weekend. The traffic gets so bad that walking becomes the fastest way around. It's all very nice. I just like joking around. And this place sure could used some extra traffic. Maybe we should have a music festival.

PARTY!!!