TROUBLE

There's trouble in Tree City, USA.

The thought that Cambridge may no longer be a safe place for unguarded foliage may be giving city officials quite a headache. It seems that no tree, not even the Freedom Tree--which used to sit in front of the Lampoon Castle--is safe anymore.

This fall, the Freedom Tree was removed after vandals attacked it with an ax. And city officials planning to plant a replacement tree one week from today received a rude surprise this week when they realized that the soil on the site intended for Freedom Tree II had been poisoned with calcium chloride.

The felling of the tree marks the latest incident stemming from a feud which dates back to the 1960s. Much suspicion falls on the Lampoon, a semi-secret organization known to occasionally publish what some hesitantly call a humor magazine. Lampoon members were unavailable for comment yesterday.

The Lampoon allegedly harbors bad feelings towards former Cambridge mayor and Freedom tree-planter Alfred E. Vellucci. And while many suspect that the butchering and poisoning may have been the Lampoon's revenge against the maverick former mayor, nothing has been proven.

Vellucci says that the Lampoon protested the planting of the tree in front of their building in 1963, saying that it obstructed the view of their fabulously anachronistic castle. The protests continued through the years, as the tree was mysteriously hit three times by vandals.

The tree survived the attacks, though. Vellucci says that the tree's ability to pull through the perpetual trauma reinforced its patriotic image in the minds of Cambridge residents.

"When people drove by the tree they would tip their hats," Vellucci says. "It's the tree that refused to die."

The most recent incident in the ongoing saga of the seven square feet of brick and dirt occured two days ago, when vandals poured calcium chloride--which hampers the growth of foliage--into the hole where the new tree is to be planted. As in the past, the vegicidal culprits were not caught.

Whether by intent or ignorance, though, the attempt to poison the soil remained only symbolic. Harvard Professor of Forestry John G. Torrey says that calcium chloride washes away quickly and could not pose a serious threat to a tree.

Still, Torrey says that the incident was unfortunate.

"There's a serious problem of getting trees in cities," says Torrey. "Individual trees cost hundreds of dollars. It's always a shame to see a tree go down.

City Arborist Jack. R. Kelley says the vandal's identity is unimportant, adding that the vandalization occurred six weeks after the Lampoon requested the tree be removed.

"The biggest thing from the standpoint of the city is that the tree is innocent and defenseless," says Kelley. "It doesn't have the conscience to go out and hurt someone. As an arborist we look at the individual tree. To us, it's a tree, pure and simple."

"There's been no admission of guilt," Kelley says. "It just happened. We shouldn't have any animosity between one another. People need to learn to get along...[Students at Harvard] are destined for something bigger once they leave here. They should be striving for something better. I want this to come out very positive."

Kelley says that the city will plant a replacement tree--the same kind as the one that was removed. The tree, a Sky-line Honey Locust, is by nature an open tree and, when properly trimmed, should not interfere much with the view of the castle, Kelley asserts.

"The Lampoon never gave it a chance and never looked at it when it was pruned," says Kelley. "I think that in their haste, this is what happened. I'm not going to take away from the building aesthetic."

Vellucci expresses less interest in protecting the aesthetics of the castle, calling it "the ugliest building I've seen in the whole world."

"In a race between the Lampoon and the Sackler as to who is the ugliest, the Lampoon wins," says Vellucci, who once sponsored a city order to turn the Lampoon into a public urinal on the grounds that it looked like one, anyway.

Vellucci says that his long-standing disdain for the Lampoon dates back to the early days of the Lampoon-tree rivalry. He says that the mutual sentiments stem back to an incident in the early Sixties involving the copper Ibis, now electrified and resting on the roof of the castle.

Vellucci says that the Ibis was stolen from the castle and left on his lawn wrapped in a sheet. The Lampoon formed a "find the bird committee" and asked Vallucci, who was on the city council at the time, if he would help them find the metal bird.

While he participated in group "find the bird" meetings, though, Vellucci kept Ibis hidden in the trunk of his car. After a month, he called the Lampoon and told them he had found the Ibis, but insisted that they pick it up at The Crimson office, an act which he says was a terrific blow to the Lampoon's pride.

"The Lampoon showed up, and they haven't liked me ever since," Vellucci says. "I would think that's how it all began."

The city of Cambridge owns the seven-foot wide sidewalk surrounding the castle, and legally has the right to do as it wishes with the small square, after which the Liberty tree was named.

Vellucci originally called the square "Yale Square" in honor of a man who sat next to him on the city council, but changed the name to Liberty Square in light of opposition from the Lampoon.

"The 'poonies got mad at 'Yale' so I changed it to Freedom Square in honor of people working for their freedom in America," says Vellucci.

Kelley says that, even if the Lampoon did in fact harm the tree then all Lampoon members are not necessarily responsible.

"In all fairness to the Lampoon, one small group shouldn't ruin the whole thing," says Kelley. "You can go to any of the houses and final clubs and find something stupid."

"If we give [the Lampoon] a little break, they might come out positive," says Kelley.

As for the future of the yet-unplanted tree, Kelley says that it will be "under a watchful eye."

"The tree belongs to the 92,000 people of Cambridge," says Kelley.

Vellucci predicts, however, that there may still be trouble to come. "The Lampoon has hired lawyers. They sent word out that they would make kindling out of it."

The new tree will be planted on Friday at a ceremony to be attended by Vellucci, Mayor Alice K. Wolf and a troop of boy scouts. And just in case, Vellucci says, the city will be placing a six-foot steel sheet around the base of the tree to protect it from future vandals.