Quick response by Beartooth Electric Co-op and Clark Volunteer Fire Department restored power to the Clark community on Wednesday night, Sept. 9.

The power interruption lasted from around 8:30 p.m. until approximately 1 a.m. Thursday. Beartooth had to clear the downed lines, restring them and install a new pole. A good explanation of the occurrence was provided on Facebook by Chris Denney, who with her husband, Ed, were in the middle of the action, as the large cottonwood tree that caused the problem was in front of their home on Road 1AF.

She wrote, “Had a little excitement here last night! Around 8:30 we heard some rumbling and then a huge thud (that) sounded like something big had hit the house! I  knew right away that one of the trees had fallen. This tree at one time had three ‘trunks’. One had been cut off up high, long ago, then several years ago the rest of it rotted and fell off.

“The rot just continued and got into the base of the one that went down last night. The one still standing will probably have to be cut down because I don’t think it can be trusted. If it was to fall, it would go towards the house. My poor old trees.

“The fire department did a great, fast job of cutting it up and my nephew, Jake Denney, brought the loader and shoved the mess off the road. Road was cleared last night in just a few minutes.

 “Oh yeah; when it fell it took down the power lines across the road. Half the valley was out ‘til 1 a.m.!”