By Mary O’KEEFE

The old stone church on the corner of Rosemont Avenue and Foothill Boulevard is a little more visible now after trees have been removed and cleared.

During a recent windstorm several trees at St. Luke’s of the Mountain Episcopal Church toppled over.

“They fell during the big wind and rain,” said Bryan Jones, vicar of St. Luke’s.

Part of the trees had dropped onto Rosemont Avenue. The church cleared those limbs and dragged them onto the property.

Then Jones contacted a tree specialist and found that the trees were diseased and had to be taken out, however the fee for clearing the trees was not in the church’s budget.

That is when Warren Spayth and Steve Pierce decided to help. Both men are volunteers at the Fire House youth center early Thursday mornings. The center is open for Rosemont Middle School students for their late start on Thursdays.

They begin to plan a “Fire House tree day” and gathered volunteers. On Saturday morning, Spayth and Pierce were joined by Steve Goldsworthy, Joe Allen and Eli Locke in addition to Prom Plus Club kids and the work began. Allied Waste donated a bin for the tree waste.

By noon, the dead and dying trees were cleared out and a pile of firewood was stacked at the side of a stone wall.

What the future holds for the now open area has yet to be determined.

“We are still considering our plans. In the last couple of weeks we have formed a Community Garden Group,” Jones said.

The group has plans to create a community garden on the property and may plant fruit trees in place of those that have been taken out.

“Anyone who would like to join our Community Garden Group is welcome. Members of the church and [non] members can join us,” Jones said.

For more information, contact St. Luke’s of the Mountains at (818) 248-3639.

  Mary Okeefe