Urges residents to address concerns

Since I was on vacation over the holidays, I could not immediately read the letter to the editor from Bernice and Don McSorley regarding the removal of "all the trees on Main Street" (Sentinel, Dec. 29).

I'd like to assure the McSorleys, however, that all the trees on Main Street were not removed, and that any trees the borough removes need approval by the Environmental and Shade Tree Commission and must meet certain criteria to be eligible for removal. Street trees are not replaced once removed as per specifications in the borough code.

Rather than delve into the details and requirements for this process, I'd like to ask the McSorleys to attend one of our meetings, which are open to the public, to address their concerns. Public input and opinion are welcome, and since this is a volunteer commission (and to avoid use of the newspaper as a dialogue box), any ideas on how to improve services are always welcome.

Brian J. Racin

chairman

South River Environmental and Shade Tree Commission