Community Update

Hello,
   I was a resident of Downers Grove until I moved to Michigan around 1986. Like the town I reside in now, Downers Grove was a great community to live and if you were raising a family even better. Many things have happened in my life as well as my family. One big change was the sale of my mothers house at 4700 Prince Street. A simple home with character, and what made the home stand out was the very big and very old Maple tree in the front yard. The people who bought the property have torn the house down and are building a custom home which is great because it will add value to the corner of Prince and Chicago. What is disturbing is that they are cutting down the Maple tree because it does not work with their design. Now I understand they bought and paid for the house and the property and they can do as they wish. What I do not understand is why they did not design their house around the tree. There is nothing wrong with the root system or the integrity of the tree. My mother always had the tree looked at by experts, had the tree secured at certain points so no branches would fall, etc. So to the new owners when you watch that Maple tree being cut down I will tell you that it dates back to 1906 and during that year it was even a mature tree. If it could talk it would tell you that horse and buggies would get stuck on the corner of Prince and Chicago during rainstorms....the horses could not get through the mud as they made the turn from Chicago Ave to Prince St. Kids in the neighborhood would hide behind the giant Maple while playing "Kick the Can". If you are in the neighborhood stop and say goodbye for me because for my family it's too hard to even think that the Maple icon of Prince Street will be gone. 
Thank you,
Dick Berry