Shrewsbury, MA (GroundReport) – Published reports say two elderly women who tied themselves to a crabapple tree to protest its removal managed to rescue the tree. Not just that, they also saved themselves from eviction.
Lea Perrone, 64, and Pat Henry, 65, tied themselves to the tree for several days at their elderly housing complex, in order to challenge a decision by the Shrewsbury Housing Authority to cut down the tree so a trash bin could be relocated. Soon after the protest, the women were handed out eviction notices.
On Monday, Perrone, Henry, and a third woman who was also threatened with eviction had a meeting with the members of the Housing Authority, reports The Associated Press. Christopher Uhl, their attorney, said the housing authority has consented not to evict the women. In addition, the crabapple tree will stay where it is.
Perrone told reporters after the meeting that she was encouraged, and glad she and her neighbors had taken a public stand: ”I hope that everybody involved is going to try to get along, as a whole,” said Perrone. ”It’s not good for the town or anybody to have to live like this,” she added.
Dennis Osborn, the Housing Authority director was quoted as saying by AP, ”We’re all going to work together on this in a new spirit of cooperation.”