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LANETT — The City of Lanett will be cutting down and removing a number of dead or dying oak trees before the current winter season turns to spring.

On Tuesday morning, the work crew from Matthew & Jody’s Tree and Stump Grinding Service cut down a giant oak along Gilmer Avenue next to ColorVision. Matthew and Jody Tapley’s youngest brother, Noah, was in the 40-foot-high bucket trimming limbs and cutting down the big tree in sections.

When asked if he was afraid of heights, Noah said he’s used to getting up that high, but it sometimes gets scary when the bucket rocks with the wind.

Helping with the cleanup were Chris Short, Braxton Smith, Drake Thompson, Ira Todd and Carterrio Harris.

The crew will continue along with Gilmer in the coming days, bringing down a number of dead or dying oaks across from the Lanett Mill site. The trees are identified with pink ribbons tied around them.

“We will be cutting a good many of these trees between now and spring,” said Planning & Development Director Tony Chandler. “We will try to have them out of the way before new growth starts budding.”

The problem with aging oaks is that when they reach full maturity limbs, sometimes portions of the trunks will break and fall to the ground.

“We’ve had cars to get hit by these falling limbs,” Chandler said. “We also need to have trees trimmed away from our power lines.”

The cutting of dead or dying trees is a frequent activity this time of year, not just in Lanett, but also in Valley, West Point, LaFayette and other nearby cities.