Tree removal, protest just the latest news in Middletown saga

You need to communicate with your people, then you dont end up with scenes of people chaining themselves."

Louise Sukle chained herself to a flowering pear tree outside the Press & Journal newspaper office on South Union Street in Middletown, where men with chainsaws began cutting down nearby trees Monday morning.

She stayed there, even after police warned her three times to move, and at 4:30 p.m., she was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and defiant trespass, according to her husband, Joe, who, with her, owns the newspaper. Her brother, David Graybill, was charged with inciting a riot and failure to disperse.

Monday was just another odd day in Middletown, where officials resign at a dizzying clip, council members are charged with felonies and council meetings spill out the door with residents shouting and crying over decisions.

The boroughs shade tree commission voted last week to remove the trees on South Union between Emaus and Mill streets, borough Secretary Chris Courogen said.

On Monday, residents saw Save Our Trees signs, yellow ribbons and demonstrators on South Union Street.

All these negative things are happening, and its pulling the town apart, resident Maxine Etter said. They have all this money for trees, but you dont have money for the library?

The borough should cut down one or two per year and plant trees gradually, she said.

Louise Sukle said it doesnt make sense for the borough to be replacing trees if its so financially strapped that it had to stop funding the library.

Where is the money coming from for this? Nothing in this makes sense, she said.

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Tree removal, protest just the latest news in Middletown saga