The battle over a West Philly street tree

[gentle music] Two Mondays ago, Beth Duddy was enjoying the early fall weather, relaxing on her second floor porch of the apartment she rents near the corner of 46th and Springfield in West Philadelphia.

She was taking in the sunshine and ample bird song when her peace was suddenly interrupted by the sound of loud machinery.

[machines rumbling] She peered down the street and saw a crew removing large branches from a lovely willow oak tree in front of 4601 Springfield Avenue.

Duddy, a retired copy editor who moved to West Philadelphia seven years ago, walked outside to speak with the workers.

She asked what they were doing, and they told her they'd been hired to cut the tree down and remove the stump.

I heard a tree chipper, and I looked across the street and saw a crew removing branches from a huge tree, I don't know if you've seen a photo of it, and feeding them into a chipper.

So I went over and asked if I could see a permit and they didn't have one.

So Duddy stood next to the tree, making it impossible for them to continue their work.

So I stood under the tree, so they had to stop, and a group of neighbors joined me, and we began calling everybody we could think of.

We didn't know who had jurisdiction over a street tree.

[upbeat music] It was a move reminiscent of 1970s activists who chained themselves to trees.

Alas, Duddy didn't have a chain at the ready.

[gentle music] Two Mondays ago, Beth Duddy was enjoying the early fall weather, relaxing on her second floor porch of the apartment she rents near the corner of 46th and Springfield in West Philadelphia.

She was taking in the sunshine and ample bird song when her peace was suddenly interrupted by the sound of loud machinery.

[machines rumbling] She peered down the street and saw a crew removing large branches from a lovely willow oak tree in front of 4601 Springfield Avenue.

Duddy, a retired copy editor who moved to West Philadelphia seven years ago, walked outside to speak with the workers.

She asked what they were doing, and they told her they'd been hired to cut the tree down and remove the stump.

I heard a tree chipper, and I looked across the street and saw a crew removing branches from a huge tree, I don't know if you've seen a photo of it, and feeding them into a chipper.

So I went over and asked if I could see a permit and they didn't have one.

So Duddy stood next to the tree, making it impossible for them to continue their work.

So I stood under the tree, so they had to stop, and a group of neighbors joined me, and we began calling everybody we could think of.

We didn't know who had jurisdiction over a street tree.

[upbeat music] It was a move reminiscent of 1970s activists who chained themselves to trees.

Alas, Duddy didn't have a chain at the ready.