Excerpts from the UT:
[Jru's] sister said yesterday that [Jru] told her Saturday morning that Encinitas Mayor Maggie Houlihan had called him on his cell phone. According to Watkins, the mayor said the city was not going to cut down the tree. Watkins also told his sister that the platform on which he had been sitting would remain and the mayor said a community garden would be planted at the tree.
“I made no call,” Houlihan said. “I was surprised, but he's obviously been spreading this story around.”
...
Brandt said her brother called her and said he was on a train heading to Santa Barbara to “recoup and relax.”
“He told me he was going to turn his cell phone off for about a week and that he would be back Friday,” Brandt said.
...
Local 3rd graders propose replacing the tree with a statue to honor Jru.
See Also: Enviro Barney Climbs Wrong Tree
They cut the tree down this morning.
ReplyDeleteJP, I was surprised to see that the SDUT website administrators removed your post following this article on its webpage: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/feb/08/bn08tree223538-no-headline/
ReplyDeleteI was sorry to know the tree was cut down today. Maggie Houlihan let a lot of people down. I am so glad she wasn't selected to be a representative on the Coastal Commission. She could have told Phil Cotton to wait. She could have agendized tree policy for a "special stand alone meeting," if she wanted to, with only 24 hour notice.
The City Manager had told the police, wait. We will cut the tree down when the treesitter leaves the tree. They just waited him out. Teresa, on behalf of the community, who has been expressing concerns for the trees in Orpheus Park and trees along the North 101 corridor, did try to get a public hearing re policy for tree removal, to allow for community input and Council discussion.
Maggie just refused to intervene. Supposedly, she is good friends with someone in the HOA for those condos?
Many people have tried to downplay the City's culpability in this for refusing to have publicly debated, WRITTEN agreements, that do not show preference or prejudice for particular private parties.
I feel it is highly likely that someone did get "Jru's" cell phone number, and called to him to convince him that she was the mayor, and that the tree would not be removed if he left, and that there would be a community garden.
Whoever did this, or arranged for someone else to do this, you know who you are. Dirty politics is very common in Encinitas, as we should all realize by now.
Andrew made the shit up. That is why he turned off his cell phone. Think about the press this guy got. He was loving it and as soon as he is victorious, or so he tells people, he runs out of town AND TURNS OFF HIS CELL PHONE. Give me a break.
ReplyDeleteThe guy shows up from nowhere and has no clue what is going on and all the local activists think this guy is to be trusted?
Bizarre ending to a bizarre episode in the ongoing Encinitas saga, "To Kill a Tree". It would have been easy to move this last tree and end the standoff, but that would have meant compromising. Until the elected leaders require public accountability for decisions like removing almost all the trees in a park, we're going to get more fiascos like this one.
ReplyDeleteThe kid was a wingnut. The worst part is that this episode also highlighted the fact that Barth may also be a wingnut. Her star has less of a shine in my book for being sucked in to the circus that the hippie kid started.
ReplyDeleteSorry Anon3:18, the "hippie kid" didn't start anything. The City Manager did. And Barth was just trying to let the community have some input into the process of denuding Orpheus Park, if even temporarily (while newly planted trees grow). Too bad it is OK with other councilpeople to let the City Manager operate in such an autocratic fashion.
ReplyDeleteBarth will be up for reelection next time, as will Dan Dalager--assuming they run for another term. It will be interesting to see how the way they approached this fiasco plays out at the polls.
Am I the only one who has thought of the possible CEQA implications of this?
ReplyDeleteThe kid is a wimp and probably had the sniffles... when the going gets tough the tough go to Santa Barbara.
ReplyDeleteTeresa Barth needs to resign for her behavior over this issue!
ReplyDeleteThe anti-tree "haters" and the anti-treehugger control freaks, can now continue with their smug attitude and put downs.
ReplyDeleteThey constantly try to take the focus away from open and accountable government, by and for the people, with courteous, responsive public servants, to "dissing" the person who stayed for a week in the tree, including through some hard rain. These haters and flamers try to lump anyone who likes trees as being "dirty treehugging hippies." What is transparent is your open disdain and your lack of good leadership skills.
It is quite obvious that you are just distracting, as usual, with your bullying and your personality digs at others, from the safety of your anonymity.
Dan Dalager was all "puffed up," arrogantly strutting through the reception area today at City Hall. He got his way. I also heard, through a TA, that he went over to Paul Ecke Central School and "had words" there, objecting to the children's participation in trying to save the remaining tree. He cannot interfere with the children's perception of what has happened, here
One less tree for Dalager to shoot squirrels out of, ha ha. I hope this gets him enough bad publicity that people will remember come November 2010.
Teresa Barth has integrity, and did the right thing. The important issues are that the public is not being listened to, staff and Council are not being sensitive to community concerns, and they are not being accountable by allowing public discussion of revising our tree policy, particularly with respect to trees on public property. There are still trees along the North 101 Corridor that could be saved by proper maintenance.
And we well know who has a propensity to label others "wingnuts." You can live with your own bad Karma, I guess. Might doesn't make right.
Dan Dalager and Jerome Stocks should resign for their behavior over this issue.
ReplyDeleteDan will never resign. He will do what he can to get Doug Long elected so that he can re-live his high school days. I don't understand who votes for these bumpkins. Don't they see what a joke he is?
ReplyDeleteThose guys are just tuning up their chainsaws for the euc's.
ReplyDeletethe north county times just reported that Jru is in Santa Barbara but can't get back to protest because he doesn't have any money.
ReplyDeleteI knew that statue would eventually serve a purpose! Classic post!
ReplyDeleteTERESA BARTH IS TOO NEGATIVE FOR ENCINITAS.
ReplyDeleteI don't think she has anything nice to say about anybody or anything, on any day.
Beyond ass-clown.
ReplyDeleteTeresa had a lot of nice things to say about trees. Dan, Jerome, and Jim do a lot of dumb ass things. Is she suppose to ignore that?
ReplyDeleteTeresa stands for a better and more positive future for encinitas and you can't get there if you don't fight off all the crap that the men throw at us.
A-Rod is the wingnut. The kid in the tree just reminded us how greedy our 'leaders' are.
ReplyDeleteHow does that make our leaders look greedy? One could say the activists look greedy. Look at collier's letter to the editor in the coast news. She even says there was an agreement to protect the views but she is so greedy she wants the city to blow off the agreement.
ReplyDeleteAndrew was a wingnut. Look at how the guy put an end to his fight. 50 bucks says he gave no warning to all the people who supported saving the tree. He screwed them by giving them no warning or coordinating with them.
You never heard from the kid before and you'll never hear from him again. He had no clue other than he could get some press and attention. Anyone blind to that has been smoking too much pot.
This kid called attention to a HUGE issue in the City. Who exactly is calling the shots? When Phil , the City Manager, said NO to Teresa, who is technically one of his 5 bosses, he stepped over the line. Why did he say NO to her request for a Council decision? Did the boys tell him to do it. If so, they are in violation of the law. Period! If he didn't ask them, he told one of his five bosses basically F you. What would happen if any of us did that to our employer? Perhaps we might get fired? Dr. Lorri puts out an interesting chronicle on the last post. I see several things wrong with all of this to answer her question.
ReplyDelete1. Why was there not community discussion, especially after 150 signed letters were brought to City Hall?
2. Why was no CEQA report done, or if there was, why hasn't it been posted.
3. Who lives in those 8 condos to have that much influence over the City?
4. Did the Council violate the Brown Act, and if so, what should be done about it?
5. Why was such a promise mde to these condo owners to begin with, since there are no view ordinances in this City and neve have been?
6. If there was a deal with the developer at the time, where is the written proof of it?
7. Why did the Mayor say she never told the condo owners the tress would be cut down?
8. Why has the City been pruning the trees all of these years and stopped about a year ago?
9. Who is Andrew-really- and why did he care about the trees if he doesn't want more media attention?
10. How did he know all of the media contacts if he is just a transient?
11. Why was this done in such a hasty fashion?
12. Why was the contract given to an out of town arborist, when so many people are out of work in our own City and could have done it?
13. Was it put out for bid?
14. Why didn't the City attempt to sell the trees?
15. Where did all of the money come from to chop down 11 tress and plant 20 trees?
16. Who authorized this plan?
17. Where was our mayor most of the time?
18. When exactly was the decision made to cut down the trees?
19. Why did the sheriff not do their jobs and have Jru arrested at 10PM the first night?
20. Why did the sheriff listen to Mr. Cotton and allow the law to be broken in the first place?
Jeeze, a lot of you are TOTALLY missing the point. Why do 8 people in the condos next door get trees cut down that were planted by a grant with the city's blessing in 1993? WHY? WHY? WHY? I personally know of three people in the city who had 360 degree views of the ocean whose view was ruined by a neighbor who built a huge house. My one friend, lost almost all her view of the lagoon when neighbors exceeded the height limit, got a variance, and council did NOTHING about it. Even her tears weren't enough to move the cold heart of John Davis, who besmirched her right in the council chambers!
ReplyDeleteSo haters, enjoy bashing the tree sitter, enjoy bashing Teresa, but all you are doing is showing your ignorance...and judging from the grammar and spelling I see on this blog, it's only natural you would do so. Carry on!
Memo to the city, trees sometimes get bigger after you plant them so plan accordingly.
ReplyDeleteMerry,
ReplyDeleteYou sure hate what the city has done in the past.
Love EnviroBarney!!
ReplyDelete9:55am
ReplyDeleteLOL!
Unlike you, I have eyes and I can see. I have lived here since 1981 and bet I've been to more council meetings than you have. I have watched not once, but twice, attempts to level Leucadia and turn it into Orange County. I watched the last council pick a city manager without the usual process, and now we have a good ol' boy network that is ethically challenged. The only reason we have dogs at Orpheus is because the city council at that time was given free trips to Hawaii by some local people who knew this was the only way to get a dog park. I could go on and on and on.
And you wonder why I am annoyed? You must be one of those people that voted for Betsy Aceti!
Merry,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Merry. It is OKAY to hate things that are bad for the city and I think merry won't be calling people haters for not liking everything she likes anymore.
Parks Superintendent John Frenken needs to be fired. He is the best friend of the arborist and the worst enemy to trees in Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteCut the real dead wood, Cut John Frenken.