Why Newton fares worse in storms than Waltham

The storm was definitely worse last night ... the wind was really ripping around the house and in the morning there was a lot more debris on the ground.

I also noticed downed trees and wires when I drove to work this morning. I am going to go out on a limb here (pun absolutely intended) and speculate that this type of weather event probably affects Newton more than Waltham. The reason: there are more trees in Newton, and they are more likely to bring down power, telephone, and cable TV wires.

Newton has a much older and more active curbside tree-planting program. It's pretty, but it comes at a cost, in terms of more money spent on planting, trimming, and treating them (not to mention raking up the leaves in fall!). The city sends crews out every year to trim and prune the curbside trees, mostly Norway maples so they grow around the wires, but when there's a big storm, they really bring down a lot of wires.

Waltham has tried to plant trees on some streets, but others are completely bare. And forget about trying to get the City Government to help. They'll tell you there's a two-year waiting list, and then do nothing, hoping you've moved or have forgotten. That's been my experience, at least.