It is a story about a new parking lot and it is a story about a tree. The 25-foot tree was close to 20 years old. It was planted on the southwest corner in front of Zion Lutheran Church of Silverhill, but it would hardly grow. At first it was just watered, then fertilized, and then coached and cajoled, but it finally added girth and height. Unfortunately, then comes Ivan and tree is blown over! Although propped up for a whole year, this cedar finally met its end and now has had its comedowns! The reason? Not hurricane, but a cat and a parking lot!

New Parking Lot Preparation
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On Tuesday morning, April 11, 2006, Frank Taylor drove Batchelor Paving of Foley's "cat" over to that cedar tree, and pushed it over, to make room for paving preparation.

Ralph Utter (l) and Pete Midgarden made short work of parsing the tree and getting it into Ralph's truck for removal. The new parking area would soon be in preparation.

So proud of their nefarious deed in the sacrifice of the sad cedar, Frank (on the "Cat"), Ralph (l), and Pete, hardly will confront the camera but move on to complete preparations for the first formal parking area for Zion Lutheran Church of Silverhill.

     Here is what happened. On Tuesday morning, April 11, 2006, Frank Taylor driving a "cat" from Batchelor Paving of Foley, pushed that poor tree over. Zion members Ralph Utter and Pete Midgarden made short shrift of parsing the tree and getting it into Ralph's truck for the tree's removal and interment.

     But there is no woe here. Would you believe that the ladies of Zion Lutheran Church now rejoice and are especially happy? With the tree gone, the space next to the church and the fellowship hall will be paved, and there will be no more walks through the mud on rainy Sunday mornings!

New Parking Lot Preparation
Click each photo to enlarge.

Batchelor Paving gets the base packed for the asphalt for the new parking area.

Jimmy Cook and the cat that scraped away 85 years of soil by the church to put our new parking lot in place.

Asphalt crew loading the mix on new parking lot.

Paving crew about one third of the way through laying the asphalt.