GRANVILLE, Ohio -- It's a fight that goes on in almost every community -- whether maintaining reliable power service outweighs the importance of maintaining the beauty of trees.
Homeowners in Licking County's village of Granville are charged up over the chopping up of some trees.
American Electric Power says it has to trim trees that are too close to power lines to ensure reliable service. AEP says professional arborists and foresters set the standards for tree maintenance. But because the trees have to be cut around the lines, they won't ever have a perfect look.
Residents say they understand the need to trim, but some are upset because they say AEP is doing a "hack job."
"This town calls itself a tree city, and I watch what's been going on with what they've done with some of the trees. It just breaks my heart," explains Granville resident Gail McConnon.
"Granville seems to have their share -- or more than their share -- of power outages and I know the trees are a large part of it and they just need to be trimmed," says another resident Steve Schneider.
Granville officials say they are working with AEP to come up with solutions.
AEP says other options include replacing problem trees with small ones or burying the power lines. Residents we talked to said they would consider paying for the buried lines.
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