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  TOWERING PROJECT: A black walnut tree at the residence of Dr. Glenn and Robin Darrow, 604 East Genesee Street, was recently turned into a chainsaw work of art by Jonathon Martinez of Houndstooth Chainsaw Carving, and his brother Darren Murphy of Florida. The black walnut measured approximately 22-25 feet tall, with a trunk eight feet in circumference. The duo started the floral-designed project (Robin’s design) at the end of July and finished up August 8. The brothers worked seven days, eight hours per day, combining for over 100 hours on the job. The black walnut was hard to work with, as it caused breathing difficulties and skin rashes. Near the end of the project, it was decided to add a chainsaw eagle which now overlooks Frankenmuth High School - home of the Eagles. At the start of the project, scaffolding was used, but as Jonathon’s father, John said, “stacking three sets of scaffolding to reach the top was not a safe option when handling a chainsaw”. For the top 10 feet, Martinez procured a power lift from Adam Barden at Tru Value Hardware in Frankenmuth. Martinez noted the unique wood color of black walnut: the deeper the cuts into the wood, the darker the color, giving some contrast to the petals and the eagle. The entire tree trunk was sealed with a polyurethane to preserve the work. “It really turned out great,” John said.                                                           (News photos/Scott Wenzel)

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