Trees please Greeley couple

GREELEY, PA — Dismay turned to delight for Skip and Elizabeth Van de Vaarst when crews arrived earlier this year to restore a privacy screen of trees felled from the couple’s property last summer during PPL’s power line trimming activities.

According to the Van de Vaarsts, PPL and its subcontractor, Jaflo, rectified the removal of 19 trees by replacing them with eight spruces approximately six feet in height. “They’re high quality trees and they dug and installed them by hand,” said Skip, who planted the original trees with his son, Jeff, to shield their home from the road and provide cover for area wildlife.

PPL pruning guidelines prioritize power delivery over scenic beauty, and while the couple had been told that the company was performing work within its right-of-way, the Van de Vaarsts could find no evidence of such in their deed and have not been provided with documentation supporting this claim.

“We’re just pleased to see the situation resolved,” said Elizabeth.