Stump Improvement Committee gets to work

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Initially saddened by the loss of the huge weeping willow tree that used to overlook Sunset Park in Charles City, the members of the community’s two-person Stump Improvement Committee (SIC) dried their tears and decided to get to work.

The committee members are local artists Connie Royek — who calls herself a “jewelry artisan” — and Judy Sebern Beachy, who were classmates long ago and both have fond memories of time spent in the park, under the tree.

Royek walks by the park daily and said she was in love with willow tree, which stood in the park for several decades and recently had to be cut down.

“I had such a deep connection with this tree,” Royek said. “For 30 years I’ve been taking photographs, I was so sad when it had to come down.”

The two old friends decided that something good could come out of the tree’s memory. Initially they considered having the stump sculptured, but the wood wasn’t appropriate for such a task. So they decided to paint it.

“I was very inspired by the murals downtown,” said Sebern Beechy. “We just kind of asked the tree what it wanted to be, and it just kind of evolved.”

The artistic duo considered going renegade and painting the tree stump under cover, but decided to seek approval, “because we’re good girls.”

“We formed a two person committee, called SIC — that stands for the Stump Improvement Committee,” Sebern Beechy said.

The SIC committee sought and was granted approval by the City Improvement Association, a group that owns and cares for almost a dozen parks in Charles City including Sunset Park. The duo went to work and completed the stump art last Friday.

“We want people to use it as a table, or as a chair,” Sebern Beechy said. “You can lay down on it, stand on it, whatever.”

The painting is entitled “The Willow Spirit.” Included in the painting are elements for kids to find, such as ants, a frog, a butterfly, a ladybug and more.