Old friend may cease to be; girl wants to save this tree

Old friend may cease to be; girl wants to save this tree
By Rhonda Bodfield
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

She's never read the book about him, but 10-year-old Rylie Diederichs is a bit like Dr. Seuss' Lorax, who speaks for the trees.
Or, in this case, for one mesquite tree, which has stood on the southeast corner of the Sam Hughes Elementary School campus for about 20 years.

Like the other eight trees that line the eastern perimeter of the school, this one grew straight for the first two feet of its life, but then it meandered horizontally for a while and then angled back up.
It's crinkling the fence. It lost a branch.

But from a kids' perspective, it's a trusty friend that makes a perfect bench.
It's great for clambering around and under.

And it has a natural knothole that seems to be an irresistible draw as a mixing bowl or a hiding place.
Even though facilities workers have braced the tree to help support its weight, Principal Roseanne DeCesari said the mesquite may have to come down for safety reasons. There's no immediate plan to cut it down, but it's under consideration, she said.

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