Community Corner

Dexter Resident Offering Aid to Replace Tornado Damaged Trees

Silver Maples employee will donate trees to area residents in Dexter affected by the March 15 tornado.

Steve Altenbernt remembers noticing the clouds moving in on his way home from work at Silver Maples Retirement Community in Chelsea on March 15. As he neared Dexter, the warning sirens were just barely audible and growing louder as he drove through town.

The tornado sirens were still going off when he heard a new sound, a rattling roar, followed by hail and rain. And then the train sound overpowered from the west.

After the storm, Alternbernt, a Dexter native, drove around the village and neighborhoods to see the damage. As a nature lover, he was dismayed by the loss of so many trees, especially the big tree outside the Dexter Cider Mill.

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“I love trees,” Altenbernt said, “and seeing all of the trees down, especially the ones that have been around over a hundred years, is the saddest thing to me.”

That is why he wants to donate trees to anyone in the Dexter area who was affected by the storm.

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“On my property, I have hundreds of young trees from a few inches tall to about four foot," he said. "They’re growing too close to each other to survive for long, I would like to give these oaks and maples to anyone who lost trees or had any damage from the storm. Hopefully, someday, someone will hear the sound of a breeze blowing through those trees."

Individuals interested in a tree may contact Alternbernt at 734-424-1557 for more information.


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