Timber!

Spring Street from Howell to Hillside will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic mid-day on Tuesday, August 21, to remove a large maple tree that is leaning over the roadway in front of the Eureka Springs Public Library. Work is scheduled to start at 6 a.m. with the goal of finishing by noon if possible, said Public Works Director Duane Allen.

"Once we get the danger down, we will try to let pedestrians through," Allen said.

The tilting tree has been the subject of concern for several years, Allen said, and with the drought, the situation has gotten worse. Although the felling is being done at short notice, his department decided to go ahead before somebody got hurt, Allen said. The wood will be given to the work crew members, he said.

The library will be open as usual, director Loretta Crenshaw said.