These are two things I love.  I would probably tear down a bank before I would chop down a tree.  Still, the answers to such issues sometimes are not so simple.  On my favorite street down town, there is an historic building known as The Ladd and Bush Building.

William Ladd and Asahel Bush II had this Italianate-style bank building constructed in 1868 to house the new Ladd & Bush Bank, the first bank in Salem, which opened on March 29, 1869.  Now, it is inhabited by a US Bank branch.  Recently, US Bank decided that the row of Japanese Zalkovas lining the street in front had to come down because they had grown so big that they were obscuring the facade of an historic building and were causing the sidewalk to buckle.  They went though the process of getting approval from all the necessary entities to take the trees down.  This was well-publicized and a group did stand in silent protest as the first trees came down.  The two remaining were discovered to contain nesting birds, so they will not be taken down until after the baby birds have fledged out and flown away.  Sweet.  I snapped this picture this morning while I was in the neighborhood buying flatbread at Cascade Baking Co.

Then, when I got back home and back to the morning paper, I read, “Restaurant owner arrested in incident.”  Apparently, David Rosales, (son of my neighbors Pedro and Anne Rosales, proprietors of La Margarita’s) and owner of two restaurants of his own down town, Andaluz and La Capitale, was running a day or two late when he showed up, stormed into the bank in a pique, and began a protest of his own that was somewhat less than silent.  He was arrested and is facing charges of trespassing,  disorderly conduct, and criminal mischief.  I hope Anne and Pedro see his bail in time for him to get to La Capitale tonight.  Best pommes frites in town.