r.i.p. big ol' tree on president street

prezst

crews have already removed all the limbs, and are now at work leveling the trunk of the majestic old tree that's stood for who-knows-how-long outside what is now the swimming pool building at the berkeley-carroll school. one of the crew members says the top of the building had been propping-up part of the tree. (maybe some of you remember how the neighborhood rallied around the tree when word got out that berkeley-carroll planned to cut it down to make it easier to build the annex. the school relented, and crews turned their attention to damaging the building next door.) i didn't get my card this year, but if i had, it probably would've said "happy holidays to president street from the berkeley-carroll school."

dailyheights

I believe this is the controversial tree in question, being debated about 15 years ago...

School's Critics Fix on Tree

Pitting residents of one Park Slope block against a prestigious private school, a debate over development has turned into a rancorous squabble over a 135-year-old oak tree.

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/17/nyregion/school-s-critics-fix-on-tree.html?scp=1&sq=berkeley-carroll+school+tree&st=nyt