For decades a pair of Live Oaks stood watch over McCauley Park in the Chatham Crescent neighborhood. Families gathered under the massive branches and children played high up in the limbs after getting out of school at Charles Ellis Montessori Academy.

In August of 2024, many of those families gathered for a vigil to say goodbye to their beloved tree, affectionately known as “Spider Web” after the tree’s trunk split down the middle, forcing it to be removed due to safety concerns.

After more than a year without “Spider Web,” a portion was returned on Monday in the form of two benches that were custom made with the wood salvaged from the tree.

Alderman Nick Palumbo conveyed the loss of “Spider Web” and “Twister,” the other massive Oak that was removed in 2022 during his remarks.

“After a

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