Saugus DPW head steamed over tree vandalizations

SAUGUS – Department of Public Works Superintendent Joseph Attubato is livid with vandals who destroyed several trees along Central Street over the weekend.”They’re cowards; that’s what they are,” he said Monday.Attubato said he received a call from police over the weekend that three saplings near J&M Subs on Central Street had been broken clean off.The red maples were about seven years old and very healthy. Attubato said it’s clear a car did not strike the trees and he feels the damage was done deliberately.”They had just started really taking hold,” he said. “This was done intentionally. It had to be a couple of guys leaning hard on them to break them completely.”He said he thought the damage must have been caused early in the morning since the area was so close to Saugus Center, yet no one saw anything.”There are always people out and about,” he said.Attubato said the Forestry Department will try and replace the trees, but it could be some time before they get to it. To restore the saplings, crews will have to remove what’s left of the broken foliage and replant completely new trees.While he is upset about the trees themselves, he is more upset that someone would commit what he views as senseless vandalism in the first place.”There is just no need for that,” he said. “We try and make the town look halfway decent and you have these ragamuffins out there – they’re just cowards that’s all.”