Weeping for a willow

Susan Labandibar mourns the loss of a giant willow tree at Columbia Road and Day Boulevard, struck by lightning yesterday:

... It shaded and cooled us, and it was a haven for birds. It gave me a jolt of pleasure every morning I ran by it. I marveled at its gracefully twisting trunk and deeply veined bark and at the grace of its boughs festooned with thousands of strands of willow leaves. ...

And now she wonders why the city is insisting on removing another large tree in Andrew Square:

... While the project does provide for planting new trees, these trees will simply join the ranks of the hundreds of others that the city has planted that wither, die back, and then die over the next few years. I am not aware of any money provided for maintenance and no money provided for replacement if the trees die.