BUCKTOWN — An invasive Asian beetle that has killed thousands of Chicago's trees has struck again, this time in Bucktown where more than 20 mature Ash trees infected with the Emerald Ash Borer were removed from Holstein Park last week.
Once providing shade around the perimeter of the park at 2200 N. Oakley Ave., only stumps and piles of wood shavings from the trees remain.
"It was just a weird feeling. I didn't ask them why but I didn't get why they were doing it. You don't see a lot of parks cutting down trees," said Valerie Sebastian, a Bucktown resident who said on Sunday that she'd witnessed workers cutting down trees in Holstein Park this past Thursday morning.
Sebastian added, "The park looks more open but it doesn't look as interesting without the trees."
The Chicago Park District spent much of this past summer, fall and now apparently the winter cutting down trees infected by the busy beetle. In Humboldt Park's namesake park, one in every 6 trees was an ash tree, resulting in the removal of about 650 trees in that sprawling 219-acre park.
By comparison, Holstein Park, at just three acres, is much smaller than Humboldt Park, though it was affected especially hard because "Chicago planted so many ash trees once upon a day," said Lucy Jacobs, a member of Friends of Holstein Park, a nonprofit group that organizes fundraisers and events at the park.
Senior Citizens Park, another green area just north of Holstein Park, saw some of its Ash trees removed on Monday, said Jacobs, who visited the park early Monday and witnessed crews there. Trees were also being removed from the playground in Holstein next to the swimming pool, she said.
Jacobs said the plan to remove the Ash trees was in the works for a few years.
"It's just the way it is. Of course it is unfortunate," said Jacobs.
Maria Mariottini, president of Friends of Holstein Park, said that it is always sad to see trees go.
"We wanted them removed before they hurt somebody. Nobody loves trees more than the park district. Hopefully there will be new trees out there soon," Mariottini said.
A Chicago Park District spokeswoman did not respond to questions about the trees on Friday but on Monday, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said he is working with the Park District to try to get the removed trees replaced with new plantings.
"Many parks and our own neighborhood/ward trees have been hard hit by Ash Borer. Once [the beetle] gets into the trees they are dead," Waguespack said.
Just a few blocks east of Western Avenue and north of Armitage Avenue, Holstein Park is named after laborers and craftsmen from Schleswig-Holstein, a region of Germany. Settlers from that area became Bucktown's earliest residents in the 1850s.
Renovations to the park's 102-year-old field house were put on hold last February when Gov. Bruce Rauner froze $28 million in state grants, including the money set aside for Holstein's field house and 26 other projects at 25 other parks.
Waguespack said on Monday that he is continuing to work with state officials to get the money once earmarked for Holstein Park field house repairs released.
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