What started as a kind gesture by one church member has turned into a collaborative effort from the community.
Tim Wylie originally offered to use the oak from the fallen tree in front of Highland Christian Church to make wood products to sell. Now Jacob Allan, who owns a tree trimming company, has offered his time and equipment.
Allan started sawing the blocks of wood into usable pieces for Wylie Wednesday morning, saying he will donate as much time as necessary to finish the project.
“To help the church out is a good thing,” Allan said. “I like helping the community.”
Wylie’s personal chainsaw isn’t strong enough to handle the oak, and cutting it himself would have taken days longer. Allan, using a Stihl chainsaw, can cut through the wood stumps quickly.
“He was just more than willing to donate his time and energy and the chain and so forth, and I thought that was fantastic,” Wylie said. “I deeply appreciate it.”
Woodcraft Supply in Lexington is also helping Wylie. Owner Mark Miller is cutting the smaller blocks into round pieces that Wylie will convert to bowls. Wylie said he’s charging a small fee.
Church members will recognize the 100-year-old tree with a memorial service at 10:45 a.m. Sunday during which they will share their memories. They will also receive small wooden crosses fashioned as keepsakes by Wylie.
The giant oak fell during a July storm that produced strong winds reaching 60 to 70 mph.
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