clean-up of church grounds, saying he eventually intends to make them more attractive.

And any donations towards the clean-up and restoration effort would be appreciated, he said.

Bermudian Rev. Anthony Hollis denied claims that live cedar trees had been uprooted at the St. Peter's Rectory.

He, in fact, planned to plant some young cedars that had been donated, he said.

And he insisted that an old cedar tree in the church graveyard, which had inspired a famous painting, would stand.

A couple of its limbs had been chopped off because it was felt there was a danger of them falling on visitors. But the rest of the tree would be left alone, he assured.

The church groundskeeper claimed last week the tree would be chopped down once bees were removed from it.

Rev. Hollis further noted, however, the tree in question was not the historic belfry tree. That was on the other side of the graveyard by the back door.

He said that he had plans to recreate a former reverend's garden at the rectory and restore the 18th Century slave quarters in the rear, currently being used as storage space. He wanted to make the quarters a visitor attraction, he said.

Any advice on how to restore it would be welcomed.

Rev. Hollis noted he grew up in Bermuda in a house surrounded by a cedar forest, so he was well aware of the value of the native trees.

"I'd be the last one to chop down any cedar trees,'' he said.

Rev. Hollis admitted two cedar trunks had been removed from the graveyard, because they were infringing on graves. But they were dead and had been hidden by vines.

The decision to clean up the grounds and clear them of overgrown foliage was supported by the church vestry, he said. A donation by a former parishioner had made part of the clean-up possible.

And horticultural experts had advised the church on what to save and destroy.

A St. George's resident had complained this week that the rector was "going berserk'', claiming he had chopped down dead and live cedars trees in the graveyard and rectory garden.

She was the second Old Town resident to speak out against the Bermudian rector's clean-up effort.

Mrs. Sylvia Shorto had been upset over plans to chop down the old cedar in the graveyard corner, saying it was the subject of a Charles Demuth painting.