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Tree Smashes Gazebo in Wayne County

Massive tree obliterated a gazebo at the park in Newfoundland Tuesday. Crews spending all day clearing debris. @WNEP pic.twitter.com/FYVACNw9Cs — Jim Hami...

NEWFOUNDLAND --Crews in Wayne County spent the day clearing away part of a large tree that fell and destroyed a gazebo in a public park in Newfoundland.

Dreher Township supervisors are trying to figure out who will pay for the cleanup and damage, since the tree was on private property and not in the park.

Those crews made quick work of the massive maple tree that smashed the gazebo to smithereens Tuesday night around 6 p.m.

The tree is on private property next to the park and no matter who pays for the damage and cleanup, the folks who worked hard on the gazebo say they'll rebuild soon.

For the folks with Jazikoff Landscaping, this would not be a simple cleanup job at Carlton Drake Memorial Park in Newfoundland.

Crews figure the tree is 10 feet around and obliterated the gazebo that stood in the entrance to the park since the late 1980's.

"Knocked flag pole down too. The flag pole's destroyed, everything's destroyed," said Rob Jazikoff.

Splintered to pieces under the weight of the maple tree was the gazebo, put there and maintained by the Newfoundland Rotary Club. Steve Drake is the son of Carlton Drake, the former supervisor who the park is named after. New benches and shingles were recently added to the gazebo.

Drake and others said they are heartbroken to see it end up like it is.

"It was just about done and it was beautiful, we knew sooner or later that tree was going to go, it was split down the middle. It was only a matter of time," said Drake.

It wasn't heavy winds that did all the damage, rather Dreher Township officials believe it was the age of the tree and the rotting inside. Whether the township's insurance helps pay for everything or since the tree is on private property the owner could be on the hook, Drake said the gazebo will be back.

"It's just a community effort, a shame to see it, it's a thing, things can be replaced. There will be another gazebo there one way or another."

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