SAGUACHE — A freak windstorm Friday scattered branches across the Saguache County Courthouse lawn and when a tree trimmer came to assess the situation, he detected a tree on the courthouse’s north side about to topple.
The trimmer said he could hear the tree cracking and could not predict when it might fall.
County officials closed the courthouse at 3 p.m. Friday until the tree trimming company could address the problem. Trimmers came Saturday to slice off the top of the tree. The courthouse reopened Monday and trimmers came to finish the job, denuding the tree of its branches and then removing it.
Trimmers reported the tree was about 125 feet high and had two tops, making it more dangerous.
“I will miss that tree because we used to watch the squirrels play in it,” County Treasurer Connie Trujillo said Monday. Trujillo’s office is just opposite of where the tree once stood.
A similar storm in Center two weeks ago brought down trees there as well, Trujillo reported.