An (artificial) tree grows in Afton

Its trunk is a little too straight, and its smooth, metallic sheen is also a giveaway, but a recently constructed AT&T cellphone tower near the entry of the Afton Alps ski area and Afton State Park otherwise was designed to blend with its rustic surroundings. Concerns were raised when AT&T in 2011 proposed a 150-foot tower on the Denmark Township site. In response, the company agreed to lower the size to 110 feet and add the "stealth" features as desired by conservation groups. The bluffs and valleys in south Washington County make cellphone coverage a challenge, prompting AT&T's effort to situate the tower there.