Tree honoring dead boys stolen from school
Blue spruce tree was planted in memory of two brothers who died in fire
By KENNETH C. CROWE II, Staff writer Last updated: 1:23 p.m., Wednesday, December 3, 2008
TROY -- Someone cut down and stole a 9-foot-tall blue spruce tree from Public School 14 planted in memory of two young brothers who died in a fire at their mother's home in Pittstown eight years ago. "It's part of school. I was heartbroken,'' said first-grade teacher Beth Behan, who discovered the freshly cut stump outside her classroom on Wednesday morning.
Behan knew the fire victims: 7-year-old David Trudell and his brother, Jacob, 6.
"I had David in my class," Behan recalled. "He was a sweet little boy.''
Her students were dismayed by the destruction of the memorial tree, which they observed daily, studying the birds and squirrels it attracted.
Behan said the class had planned to put seed bells in the tree to feed the birds.
Principal Karen Cloutier said the school at 1700 Tibbits Ave. would raise funds to replace the tree and install a plaque to honor the two Trudell brothers.
City police are investigating the crime.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Two Brothers
I wrote this after the boys died. We planted and dedicated two trees, one slightly bigger than the other, not long after one was cut down as a fraternity prank. The police followed the footprints in the snow. I'm not sure if I wrote this before or after the first one was cut down, but I think I wrote it while I was in grad school (I left for school a month after they were killed) because it has comments from a teacher on it, so I must have submitted it for something. I also have an oil-crayon (cray-pod) sketch of a two trees in front of a school. Never said I was an artist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For David and Jake:
Two brother evergreen trees stood together one fall afternoon.
The smaller one looked up at the bigger one and asked, “Why are you bigger than me?”
The taller tree replied, “I am taller so I can always watch over you. After all, I am your big brother.”
The next day the sun rose and the smaller tree looked around. He said, “So many trees have beautiful leaves that change color in the fall. Why do we have these prickly needles?”
His brother patiently answered, “We have needles and not leaves because we are special. We are Evergreens. We are always green, even in winter when all the other trees turn bare. We will always be full of life and color.”
The following afternoon, the small tree heard children laughing and playing. Wishing he could play too, he asked, “Why can’t we laugh and play like other little boys?”
The taller tree smiled and said, “We have a more important job. We must give branches for climbing and shade for sitting in on a hot day. We give needles and cones to make gifts with. We may not run and play, but we are important. We provide a place for children to run to and learn about.”
The littler tree thought about this. He felt the warm sun on his branches and listened to the children who came everyday to visit. It was good to be a tree.
Then he thought of something.
“But what if they cut me down?” he asked sadly.
“Then they will have to cut me down too, for brothers have to stay together. But that will not happen for a hundred years. We still have much growing to do as all brothers do.”
The little tree liked that answer. It was good to be a tree, but it was even better to be a little brother.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For David and Jake:
Two brother evergreen trees stood together one fall afternoon.
The smaller one looked up at the bigger one and asked, “Why are you bigger than me?”
The taller tree replied, “I am taller so I can always watch over you. After all, I am your big brother.”
The next day the sun rose and the smaller tree looked around. He said, “So many trees have beautiful leaves that change color in the fall. Why do we have these prickly needles?”
His brother patiently answered, “We have needles and not leaves because we are special. We are Evergreens. We are always green, even in winter when all the other trees turn bare. We will always be full of life and color.”
The following afternoon, the small tree heard children laughing and playing. Wishing he could play too, he asked, “Why can’t we laugh and play like other little boys?”
The taller tree smiled and said, “We have a more important job. We must give branches for climbing and shade for sitting in on a hot day. We give needles and cones to make gifts with. We may not run and play, but we are important. We provide a place for children to run to and learn about.”
The littler tree thought about this. He felt the warm sun on his branches and listened to the children who came everyday to visit. It was good to be a tree.
Then he thought of something.
“But what if they cut me down?” he asked sadly.
“Then they will have to cut me down too, for brothers have to stay together. But that will not happen for a hundred years. We still have much growing to do as all brothers do.”
The little tree liked that answer. It was good to be a tree, but it was even better to be a little brother.
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