The city has announced that Point Pleasant Park has lost 70% of
its trees and that as a result of the damage it will be closed indefinitely. To
allow the public to see the damage, for two days only, Saturday October 18 and
Sunday October 19, 2003, just the shore road would be opened for view. This is
the traffic jam on Young Avenue leading into Point Pleasant Park Sunday afternoon.
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One of the regular park entrances, like most of the roads inside the
park, blocked by fallen trees and debris. Removal of any plant debris
from the park is forbidden due to fears of spreading the brown
spruce longhorn beetle, a parasite which has apparently made a
home in some of the park's trees.
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Thousands of people were streaming into Point Pleasant Park for a
look; young, old, people on crutches, people in wheelchairs.
They navigated their way down a muddy sidewalk overhung by broken
branches.
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The lower parking lot piled high with debris from the downed trees. To
the left is a two storey high pile of tree trunks, straight ahead is a two
story high pile of smaller brush and to the right is a pile of wood chips.
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Part of the pile of woodchips. This photo is showing maybe
20% of the pile, which is smoking from the heat produced by
composting.
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To reach the shore road you must first pass yet another
pile of tree trunks.
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The public is forbidden from walking on the shoreline.
Black Rock Beach is still covered in debris from the destroyed boardwalk.
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Crowds filled the shore road despite the uneven footing.
When Hurricane Juan hit, the tide was at its highest and
this was all underwater. Much of the gravel has been washed away,
there are piles of stones, seaweed and even bumper tires ripped from
wharves washed up by the waves.
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