Buzz LeBret works Tuesday, at his home at 905 Central Drive, on severing tree

roots from a dead city-owned tree that was cut down this spring by the city of Coulee Dam. LeBret said city officials initially said they'd be back to take out the stump, at right, with a stump grinder, but later said they couldn't do that because the city would have to rent the equipment. LeBret said he's a Native American who has had his Central Drive home for 25 years and chose to keep his property taxable because he considers it the right thing to do, but that level of cooperation on the matter has frustrated him so much he's considering transferring his property to non-taxable Indian Trust status by fall and getting legal representation if the city doesn't help with its own stump and root problem. The problem of stump removal in the "Tree City USA" city has been discussed at several city council meetings this year. - Scott Hunter photo