PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 27, 2026
James Kences, York’s town historian, has been leading an effort to save a honey locust that’s slated to be cut down as part of a long-awaited revitalization plan. Officials have described it as a visual hazard, causing further confusion at an already perplexing intersection. The most efficient and affordable option to make the intersection safer, is to take down the tree, which is not native to Maine. Kences thinks there are better solutions, like carefully excavating its roots to relocate it. Kences also thinks that killing the honey locust will pave the way for developers to build structures that would destroy the old-town charm of York Village.