 |
Rakes, brooms and pitchforks stand waiting to be used as Shane Bailey of Landscape Services empties a bucket of leaves while cleaning up near Love Library on Tuesday. Clean up continues following last week's snow storm that damaged an estimated 80 percent of the trees on campus. (Photo by Richard Wright) |
It's been 10 days of "oh no's," whining chain saws and 14-hour days. There are aching backs and aching hearts. Despite the hard work, there's a palpable level of pride at Landscape Services. While they still have months of work to do, the clean-up from the Oct. 26 snowstorm has gone well.
Diane Wilson, curator of plants and director of education at Landscape Services; said the nearly 80 full- and part-time unit employees have worked 800 hours of overtime, included a couple of "start at 4 a.m. days," to clear the danger and begin assessing damage.
"People have kept in good spirits," she said. "You might expect some grouchiness, but people have been really cooperative and professional.
"They are hearing comments of appreciation from folks on campus, and that helps, too."
A preliminary assessment of the 10,000 trees on campus indicates that 80 percent suffered damage, and about a quarter of them will have to be removed. The trees, valued in 1995 at about $10 million, have lost about $4 million in total value. Replacement costs for approximately 2,000 trees is estimated at $600,000 and cleanup costs are projected at $200,000.
While costly in a monetary sense, the storm was also costly in an emotional sense, Wilson said.
"I was walking around taking pictures and I just kept hearing myself say 'oh no, oh no," Wilson said.
But folks already are starting to regroup.
"Plants are resilient. Some will come back and we will replant," Wilson said. "I'll miss the way it used to look, but that's life."
"Plant people know this kind of stuff happens," said Jay Schluckebier, interim director of Landscape Services. "Our people are pretty resilient. And some of the really key trees to the arboretum are OK."
For instance, Wilson said, some of the oldest trees on campus in the Maxwell Arboretum on East Campus did pretty well although a tree lilac and a black oak probably have been lost. A bald cypress on East Campus sustained heavy damage but a cottonwood, the tallest tree on campus, did fairly well. The English Oak near Westbrook and the linden by Arch Hall also have been heavily damaged, she said. But neither will be removed.
Some of the most noticable changes, she said, will be the loss of the red buds in the gardens south of Love Library and the Fauriei pears in the Holling Garden east of the Wick Center.
Many areas that once held thriving shade-lovers will need to be replanted with sun-worshipers, she noted.
The gardens also contain 180 memorial trees that were donated or endowed. Wilson is checking with other botanical gardens to see how they handled huge disasters to these types of trees. In any event, the donors will be contacted, she said.
Landscape Services is taking a methodical approach to the problem. The first few days, they concentrated on safety - removing branches hanging over sidewalks, parking lots, roads and buildings. They followed with the pruning of major damage from the trees and will follow up this winter with corrective pruning.
"We are not going to be hasty about taking things out. We might leave things for as much as a year to see what happens and we might plant around a tree to give plants a head start before we remove something."
That's good advice for homeowners to follow, she said. Remember what a tree's function was. If it was to screen for privacy or provide shade, it might look scraggly but it still can provide that function. Plant around it and let those plants grow a bit before removing something for cosmetic reasons, she said.
And while the storm provided information about how some plants respond to heavy snow, it's too early to rule them out as "unsuitable" for the climate.
The storm was a freak, she said. Unusually early heavy wet snow fell on unusually late leaf retention, causing a rare and unique catastrophe.
"Just because the hawthorns sustained heavy damage because they had all their leaves and fruit, doesn't mean we won't be looking at them for replanting. They are good trees."
The UNL Garden Friends are asking for donations to help restore the gardens. Donations can be made to the NU Foundation earmarked for the Garden Friends.
- Kim Hachiya
After months of negotiating, the Academic Senate approved a post-tenure review policy at its meeting Nov. 4.
Senators, using words like "trust," "closure" and "responsibility," called for the vote, ending a series of debates that have occupied the senate since last spring.
Some voiced doubt that the proposal really was necessary, citing numerous review mechanisms already in place. Others said the proposal was triggered by a misperception in the public's mind that tenure endows a "lifetime free ride." The administration, these faculty charged, should spend more time educating the public about what tenure is and what professors do rather than spend time developing more policy.
James Ford, senate president, noted the document resulted from negotiations that involved input from a number of faculty and administrators.
Rick Edwards, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the work involved in getting to the final document exemplified shared governance.
Edwards said he believed that having the document in place would protect the institution from a review process developed at other levels in the university with little input from Lincoln faculty.
Edwards also said he doubted the process would be used very often, and the system would instead provide "early alerts" to problems that could be addressed prior to a full-blown post-tenure review.
Following the voice vote, in which just one senator opposed adopting the document, Chancellor James Moeser thanked the senate for its imprimatur.
He pledged to carry the document to Central Administration and urge the regents to adopt it intact.
In other action, the senate accepted reports from the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women, the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of People of Color and the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee.
In addition, a resolution regarding faculty salaries was submitted for information purposes. Senate bylaws require resolutions be brought forward at one meeting and voted upon in a subsequent meeting unless an emergency is declared.
The resolution asks that salary increases match the average faculty salary of peer institutions by 2001; that the institution's contribution for benefits match peer averages by 2001 and that the institution increase its contribution to disability benefits by 2001.
The vote by the Academic Senate Nov. 4 stating its opposition to a no-classes observance of Martin Luther King Day might be misperceived by the public, said Chancellor James Moeser.
Moeser, who has stated his support for a King holiday, was surprised by the senate's vote and said he feared the public would view the issue negatively.
"There was no opposition to celebrating Martin Luther King," he said. "There was only veneration and admiration for Dr. King. There was some sentiment that there are better ways to honor Dr. King through endowed chairs, more scholarships or a lecture series rather than by taking a day off. The argument was made that we honor Dr. King by continuing the learning process."
Moeser said he believes the university will have a King holiday.
"I think we can look at alternative ways to honor Dr. King and in point of fact, I think we will continue to look at the King holiday. This is not the final act in the drama. My guess is the calendar committee and board (of regents) will ultimately approve the King holiday. I think the overwhelming sentiment is to have one. I favor it."
Senators cited difficulties in rescheduling labs and once-a-week classes in urging colleagues to vote down the proposal. Others said the gesture was hollow, that unless the campus truly embraces the values espoused by King, the one-day moratorium on classes would be meaningless. While classes would not convene, faculty and staff would report to work.
Coupled with the proposal was a plan to delete the class holiday on the Tuesday after Labor Day in order to make sure both the fall and spring semesters had equal academic days, 74.
Jim McShane, director of University Foundations, said the Tuesday holiday did not help bond first-year students to campus when they go home for four days after five days of classes.
The proposals were brought to the senate in October from the universitywide calendar committee, which sets the common calendar for all four NU campuses.
Leo Sartori, a member of the universitywide committee, said he would take the sentiments of the senate back to that committee.
Amy Rager, a student government officer, said about 92 percent of nearly 500 students surveyed supported the King holiday idea.
Tom Winter, classics, urged his colleagues to remember that omitting classes is not the only way to observe a holiday. "Stack the day with events, observe the day with our attitudes, inject meaning into your classroom discussions that day," he said.
Jim Ford, senate president, urged Winter to bring a proposal stating those ideas to the next senate meeting.
- Kim Hachiya
The Nebraska Forest Service at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says take time to assess tree damage before chopping down trees damaged by a late October snowstorm.
Tom Wardle, deputy state forester, emphasized safety above all else in clearing thousands of trees across southeast Nebraska. Naturally, branches that are on or over power lines, roofs or vehicles must be carefully removed first. The rest of the cleanup can take place anytime until and even including next spring, Wardle said.
"The trees are going to stand for a long time," he said. They won't suffer any additional damage between now and spring if they're left alone, he added.
Wardle reminded homeowners that their efforts to clean up trees should not hamper utility trucks and workers. Homeowners clearing downed branches should wear proper safety equipment that includes hard hat, safety glasses and chaps, especially when working with a chain saw. A homeowner using a chain saw should always be standing on the ground; never use a chain saw while in a tree, he warned.
Tree damage is estimated to run into tens of millions of dollars stemming from heavy snow in southeast and parts of south central Nebraska. Generally, the storm swept a 25- to 30-mile wide path from Franklin to Omaha, Wardle said. The snow weighed about a pound per square foot for every inch that fell, according to Nebraska Forest Service estimates. Snow accumulated on trees that still had leaves until some branches succumbed to the weight.
Although the situation is bad, things already are looking better.
"There's a lot of resilency in trees and all natural systems," the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources forester noted. "Things look better today than they did yesterday, and they'll look better tomorrow than they did today."
Wardle recommends that homeowners deal with professional, licensed and bonded arborists for pruning large trees disfigured by the storm. Be wary of nonprofessional tree
trimmers who want payment in advance, he warned. They may increase tree damage and may not have proper insurance.
Wardle cautioned against hasty removal of damaged trees, as well as hasty pruning. So many trees were damaged that homeowners need to ensure they don't remove trees that could be left standing. A tree that is split in half may need to be removed, he added. A tree with less damage than that could recover.
Another reason to wait to clean up branches is that heavy tree-trimming equipment can tear up wet lawns, Wardle said. It will be better to wait until the ground is frozen to bring in heavy equipment.
The dormant period for trees lasts from now until spring. Although trees can be trimmed and pruned anytime, the dormant period is best, Wardle said. Tree bark can strip more easily in spring because the tree is undergoing physiological changes.
Some growth won't be affected by the storm, Wardle noted. Shrubs should fully recover and evergreen trees were relatively unscathed because of their stairstep effect.
Hardwoods, especially those not native to Nebraska, were hardest hit. These include Siberian elms, which keep their leaves until cold weather drops them; Bradford pears and hawthorns. Wardle suggested planting hardy trees as replacements for those lost.
As a result of the storm, a lot of wood will be available for firewood and for mulching when chipped. Wood from trees downed now will make better firewood next year after it's dried, Wardle said. Green wood gives less heat when burned because it first must drive out moisture. Small branches and leaves can be composted, he added.
Next summer, insect and diseases may take hold in some damaged trees. Borers and fungus spores will invade damaged trees. Both are ever-present and probably won't be enough to kill the trees, Wardle noted.
For a list of licensed arborists, contact a local Cooperative Extension office or city office. Information such as "How to Hire an Arborist," NebFact NF112 or "Care for Newly Planted Trees," NebGuide G1195, are also available from local extension offices.
- Cheryl Alberts, IANR news writer
If historical trends hold true, Nebraska retailers should experience December sales activity similar to the early 1990s, a marked improvement over the previous two Decembers.
The forecast, from John Austin and Lisa Darlington of the University of Nebraska Bureau of Business Research in the College of Business Administration, appears in the October issue of Business in Nebraska, the bureau's 10-times-yearly publication.
Austin, BBR research associate, and Darlington, BBR research coordinator, said the state's December nonmotor vehicle net taxable sales are expected to rise to $1.8 billion, 7.8 percent above December 1996 levels. That's in marked contrast to 1995 and 1996, when the increases over the previous Decembers were 3.2 and 3.3 percent - holiday seasons that earned the labels "dismal" and "mediocre." Between 1991 and 1994, the average December increase was 8.4 percent.
The main reasons for the optimism, Austin and Darlington write, are the state's strong economic indicators, including solid gains in employment, inflation-adjusted wages, nonfarm and farm income, and total deposits in banks and savings and loans.
However, they write, factors could alter those prospects. One is low interest rates that could spur motor vehicle sales and reduce the level of other retail sales. Others are weather, the appeal of post-Christmas sales and catalog sales.
"It is also important to note that the day after Thanksgiving may no longer be the barometer of the season that it once was," they write. "Indications from recent years are that last-minute shopping may be a more accurate gauge of overall holiday sales performance."
Their forecast was based on the most recent annual forecasts of the Nebraska Business Forecast Council. The council will update its forecast in November and the new forecast will be presented in the next edition of Business in Nebraska.
-Tom Simons
College students in Nebraska will be able to translate their community service activities into more than just a good feeling with a grant to the university from the Corporation for National and Community Service.
The one-year, $300,000 Learn and Serve America Higher Education Grant will allow students to incorporate service activities into their course work and indirectly earn academic credit for it.
Marilyn Bugenhagen, who will oversee implementation of the grant through the Nebraska Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education, said that while elementary and secondary schools have a long history of promoting community service, there has not been a developed educational track for post-secondary students in service-learning.
Bugenhagen, director of student involvement at UNL, said many Nebraska college students already have a strong background in service in their home communities when they arrive on campus. The grant will allow them to extend that service ethic while being exposed to people of diverse social, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
"An example of how we want to relate service-learning to the classroom would be a faculty member incorporating service-learning into the curriculum," Bugenhagen said. "Students would perform community service, then write about what they learned and how it contributed to their own life or the community. This challenges students to think critically about their experiences and takes community service one step further. If students develop these skills at the college level, they're likely to continue to serve throughout their professional lives and become even more highly productive citizens."
Bugenhagen said 20 colleges and universities have committed to collaborate on developing service-learning in higher education in the state. She said the consortium will hire a director to coordinate the statewide effort.
The university's partners are Central Community College and College Park in Grand Island, Chadron State College, Clarkson College, College of St. Mary, Concordia Teachers College, Creighton University, Dana College, Doane College, Hastings College, Metropolitan Community College, Midland Lutheran College, Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing and Allied Health, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Northeast Community College, Southeast Community College-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska at Omaha and Western Nebraska Community College.
Learn and Serve America promotes service-learning initiatives in schools, universities and communities. Through its programs, Learn and Serve America provides opportunities for more than 750,000 young people to connect community service experience with academic learning, personal growth and civic responsibility. Administered by the Corporation for National Service, Learn and Serve America funds schools, colleges and community organizations that use these resources to create new service-learning programs, replicate existing service-learning programs or provide training and development to staff, faculty and volunteers. Specific programs address local needs in at least one of the following areas: education, public safety, human services and the environment.
- Tom Simons
Back to menu