Landmark tree bouncing back

It's a miracle on Park View Boulevard.

La Vista's landmark 60-foot evergreen tree in front of city hall is healthy and doing better than expected since having its trunk slashed in January.

That means residents can still count on Santa Claus lighting the tree from the bucket of a La Vista Fire Department aerial truck.

“We have been very fortunate,” said Brian Lukasiewicz, La Vista park superintendent. “Everyone is surprised it is doing as well as it is. We've just had a plethora of nice weather. We've had ample rainfall and not a lot of hot weather to add stress to the tree.”

Sarpy County prosecutor Stephanie Hansen said she will dismiss the felony criminal mischief charge against the alleged tree hacker, 20-year-old Johnathan Roy.

Roy was expected to stand trial today. If convicted, he faced up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

“The tree is healthy, so the value of the mischief is minimal,” Hansen said. “The arborist says we are in a watch-and-wait holding pattern at this point to see if the tree continues to be healthy through the winter.”

Hansen said she could refile the charge if the tree dies.

City workers discovered the vandalism in January, after taking down the tree's Christmas lights and the star at its 60-foot peak.

Rita Ramirez, assistant La Vista city administrator, said residents continue to ask about the tree and are pulling for it to heal itself.

“People are keeping their fingers crossed,” she said. “So far, so good.”

Lukasiewicz said that although the tree's Christmas lights will sparkle this season, he doesn't know what the future holds for the tree.

“I can't guarantee it will be there for Christmas next year,” he said. “But we are very hopeful the tree is going to survive. The longer that wound can heal, the better.”

The evergreen tree has stood in front of City Hall since La Vista was founded in 1960. Santa's annual tree lighting after Thanksgiving traditionally draws big crowds. This year's lighting ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. Nov. 30.

When the city replaced its old City Hall with new municipal offices, the building and driveway at 8116 Park View Blvd. were built around the tree, Ramirez said. Expansion plans also leave room for the tree.

But sometime between Jan. 2 and Jan. 4, the city's beloved tree was severely vandalized.

Roy was accused of crawling into the branches near the base of the tree and, with a handsaw, making cuts about three-quarters of the way around the trunk — as deep as 2 inches in some places.

City officials said the cuts were so severe that the tree would not be able to draw water and nutrients from the soil, which happens in a tree's outermost layers.

But the tree has beaten the odds.

Lukasiewicz said the tree even produced pine cones this year, though not as many as usual.

“Everything has come together to keep it alive,” Lukasiewicz said. “We are excited to be able to decorate it for Christmas.”

Contact the writer:

444-1336, leia.mendoza@owh.com