There is a knotty problem in Pleasant Grove: Two trees along Main Street were "massacred" last week and City Council members are angry about it.

"All we've got there now is a couple of ugly trees that look like twigs," said Mayor David Holdaway. "To arbitrarily hack those trees up when it isn't even their property . . . ."The flowering plum trees, in front of Christensen's Department Store, were planted 10 years ago by the Shade Tree Committee and the city Parks Department in a city beautification project. They were city property.

Holdaway said the city had received complaints about the trees blocking the view of two stores along Main Street and was planning to prune the trees.

Bill Hoglund, superintendent of parks and recreation, said the trees were planted in between businesses to avoid such a problem.

"I think they were pruned at a most inappropriate time," Hoglund said. "We had planned to take a look at them when the leaves dropped. When you prune them too much, all you do is encourage sucker growth. This is pathetic. Someone has destroyed some very lovely trees."

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Hoglund said the trees will send suckers out at the top and will be much more difficult to manage.

"Basically, they are ruined. The trees are city property, and if the businessmen wanted them out, they should have approached the city," Hoglund said.

Hoglund said he has received several complaints from citizens about the damage to the trees.

The City Council has asked Police Chief Mike Ferre to investigate the incident and said they would "pursue action against the people who butchered the trees on Main Street."

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