San Jacinto Christmas tree damaged, could be dying

The Christmas tree in San Jacinto plaza many have come to enjoy could be dying.

City officials told ABC-7 the pine tree that has stood over the plaza for 16 years may have been damaged from construction work at the plaza.

An email from City Manager Tommy Gonzales to City Council states, ‘The large tree in San Jacinto plaza has been severely damaged during the reconstruction process due to root damage and soil compaction,” Gonzalez wrote.

And no one from the city has been able to tell ABC-7 just how damaged the tree is but what we do know is the tree has had roots in the history of San Jacinto.

Many families have gathered around the 50 foot pine to kick off the holidays.

Now with the reconstruction of the plaza there’s word of severe damage to the tree.

“I did receive an email that the tree was significantly damaged during the process. Root damage, things like that and there is a question whether the tree is going to survive now. Is that true or not I don’t know,” said Dr. Michiel Noe, Dist. 5 representative.

Some might also not know just how this tree came to be at the San Jacinto plaza.

“It’s a beautiful tree,” said Corrine Boyce in a interview with ABC-7 in 1998.

The tree had it’s roots in the upper valley at the home of Charles and Corrine Boyce.

The couple planted the tree in the late 70’s.

“It affords a lot of shade to the neighborhood and my front porch,” said Boyce in the interview.

Years later Charles died of liver cancer and Corrine decided to give the tree to the city so everyone could have their own memories around the giant pine.

In September of 1998 the tree was uprooted from the Boyce home.

“See those straps, they attach them on the floor then pick it up(the tree) straight up,” said Boyce.

It was a day-long spectacle many came to see.

“We’re saying our goodbyes sort of.. that tree has been next to my house for 25 years,” said one of the Boyce’s neighbors in a interview with ABC-7 in 1998.

“I think it’s something new for El Paso something nice a new change for us,” said one woman who went to see the tree being planted.

For Corrine the tree would stand in memory of her husband that enjoyed Christmas lights so much.

“His main thing was going out and looking at lights. It was a diversion from his pain and so we’d go out and look at Christmas lights every night until he died a week before Christmas,” Boyce said.

ABC-7 spoke to Dist. Rep. 8 Cortney Niland.

Niland told ABC-7 the council is not in the business of chopping down trees.

Niland said in fact they will try to save the tree if they can.

But no one from the city has been able to tell ABC-7 if the tree has been damaged to the extent that it could die.