Patriotic Anon Rant

This was pulled forward from the comments section:

Don't the patrons using the park have a right to an ocean view? Plant the new trees on the perimeter of the park so the gorgeous view is not blocked again. Here in Encinitas as most everywhere else there are literally tens of thousands of new trees with more being planted everyday than just ten or twenty years ago. Almost every tree you see in town is planted by us and not native so why do so many of you treat this as if Jesus has been crucified again. Is nature your new God? Maybe its time to wake up and see the real crisis that is happening in the USA. Instead of having a cow regarding the axing of a few trees maybe you could feed and clothe a homeless or hungry person or demand that our elected representatives follow the will of the people or become a patriot and demand the constitution and laws of the country be enforced.

But above all save the eucs on 1o1. Don't cut down even one more. Also, I don't remember one death from the trains here in town that was an accident, but after the tunnels are installed they are going to install six foot tall chain link fences with three strands of barbed wire atop on both sides of the tracks from Cardiff Slough to Batiquitos Lagoon. That's going to make the ten trees axed seem pretty pale in comparison.

The Four Arborists

Recall one of my recommendations: Never ask the guy you pay to cut down your trees, "Do you think this one needs to go?"

Parks and Rec Staff Giving their Tree Drama Report

I learned a lot at this week's city council meeting. One of the things that stuck out like a thirty pound sore thumb was the emphasis that Chris Hazeltine (Parks Director) made about the qualifications of his staff. He stated that four city staff who were certified arborists helped to review the Orpheus park trees. I interpreted Hazeltine's statement as an effort to demonstrate the depth of tree expertise at city hall.

Sore thumb question: If there are so many tree pro's at city hall why did the city ask their contract tree trimmer to determine which trees on the 101 should be removed?

See Also:
Arborist
7 Points

Return of the Jru

Council Report: Orpheus Tree Drama

I said I'd show up for the council meeting. I had forgotten how much fun it could be.

I had to laugh when Lynn stood to the side of the podium. The "city" moved the podium so that the speakers couldn't face the audience when addressing the council.

She made the point that it was lame that staff claimed that they cut down the trees to honor a written resolution that they seemed to only know about after the trees were cut down.

Three former mayors (Cameron, Aspell, Hano) were in the audience because of their concerns about how staff dealt with the tree issue. I saw Hano and Cameron speak. They pointed out that the property was designated and permitted for a park even before the city incorporated or the condos were planned.

Cameron quotes:

What we have is a failure to communicate

This was more than devastating, it was disastrous.

[Jru] is an ecowarrior. He is our Hero.

Cameron then put staff back in their place:

Then Jru busted out some zingers.

"We're going to win no matter how many trees you cut down" and told the council how he's got a sound track with him and kids singing about the trees and chainsaws in the background. He said he was going to release the song right here on the Leucadia blog!

See Also: Trees vs. Views and Local Hero Saves Trees and Goes on Vacation

City Council Meeting Wed 3-11-2009

Wednesday's agenda has two items of interest. Beach Shuttle Bus and Orpheus Park tree removal report.

view agenda, click me

Botanical Gems of Leucadia: Part II

From the In Box:

Jesse writes, "Here are some photos from a weekend hike at Indian Head Canyon. You need to get up to the top areas that get a lot of sun - that is where many species are in full bloom right now."

Captions by Jesse:

Sun cups (Cammisonia species) - these are so cute and cheery. They are low to the ground and the flowers are only open when the sun is out. You'll see them along the edges of the trails.Suncups (yellow) mixed in with a little Crypantha species (white).
Everlasting (Gnaphalium bicolor) - One of my favorites. The flowers are kind of papery, and the leaves have a fabulous, citrusy smell.Nightshade (Solanum parishii I think) – What a gorgeous purple flower. Related to potatoes, tomatoes, peppers; but don’t eat it – some nightshades are poisonous.
Blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum). This is in the lily family, grows from a bulb and dies back after it makes seed.
Lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia) flowering. This is a big bush with thick, green leaves. It is related to poison oak, but no worries, it won't give you a rash. Great garden plant - uses little water and can be shaped into just about anything.
Just look how SMALL these white Cryptantha flowers are.
You might have to get down on your hands and knees to really get a good look at them and see how perfect they are.

See Also: Botanical Gems of Leucadia: Part I

City to import sand from far, far away despite nearby "sand pit"

click image for large view

The city of Encinitas is seeking bids to transport that infamous ashtray sand from San Juan Capristrano to dump in the tourist section of Moonlight Beach. This is no surprise, they do this every year.


What is telling about this year is that a mere 3 blocks away is the giant "sand pit" from the Pacific Station development. As you know, the developer John DeWald, sand lobbyist Steve Aceti and the city of Encinitas created and executed a bizarre plan to dump construction dirt from the site onto a north Leucadia beach. For weeks massive dump trucks have been roaring up and down the sandy beach "replenishing" the beach with construction dirt...err, I mean "sand".


We've been told over and over again what great high quality beachsand this dirt is and how everyone involved are environmental heroes and true American geniuses.

So I ask you this, if the construction dirt/sand is so awesome why isn't the city using that material to spread on Moonlight Beach? Why go through the trouble of bringing riverbed sand all the way down from San Juan Capistrano?

Leucadia Blog: Sandy Beach "Replenished" with Developer's Construction Dirt
Leucadia Blog: Mayor Maggie tricked into supporting fake environmentalism
Leucadia Blog: Moonlight Beach, Grassy Park instead of Sand?

Regional Sand Plan

Did anyone know about this?

The draft regional sand plan came out in early December '08 and the comment period officially ended in February. Here is the link: SANDAG Sand Management Plan.

This seems like something a lot people in Leucadia would be interested in. Did anybody check this out?

I noticed that Aceti was a "community adviser" to SANDAG on this issue, which is odd because he is directed and paid by SANDAG and its members.

Olive Trees in Leucadia?

John Portilla from Fulano's Cafe sent me this email,
I just wanted to give you a suggestion on trees for 101 in Leucadia. Last week I had a job in Vegas. Up by the Lake. There was a beautiful Blvd. that had Olive trees in the middle & on the outside of the Blvd. It was beautiful!!! Olivie trees are drought tolerant, live 300 years & would keep the Euro feel of Leucadia. Just a thought.

Street lined with Olive trees in Arizona.

Olive tree as landscaping.

Van Gogh understood the beauty of olive trees.

Olive tree tunnel, oooooooh!

Imagine this as a Leucadia Hwy101 roundabout.

Lassen Street Olive Trees in LA. link Nice shade!

Olive trees have interesting twisty trunks.

They Call Me Jru

Jru is back from vacation and promoting oak trees.

From Jru:
My name is Jru and you might know me from the treesit in Encinitas when I was on t.v. like every day for a week. Glad that's over and of course it would've been nice to save the tree, but here's the good news: This coming friday at La Milpa Organica Farm in Escondido we're having our third full moon music party. This time we'll have daytime demonstrations and workshops starting at 4pm and we'll be planting over 100 native oaks. Come learn how to do it and stay after dark for the music. There will be several bands from reggae to rock to fusion. After 8pm the Cricket Lounge One Star Orchestra will be recruiting anyone from the crowd to join in with makeshift instruments, guitars, mandolins, tamborines, harmonicas and banjos and what not.
...
I would be happy to help represent any green cause. Current workshops include worm bin construction, recycled jewelry making, a presentation by my good friend Theophilos on the realization of the fourth dimension and a presentation by my friend Dan from resurf.org.
Thank you for your support during the treesit and I hope to see you all soon.
Peace,
Jru

No word on if Jru will attend Wednesday night's council meeting where the whole Orpheus tree drama will be publicly discussed by policy makers.

Bloggers note: I emailed Jru and I offered to give up my evening and come on down to city hall to give him a time donation so that he might have his say, which should be interesting.

See Also: Trees vs Views

Historic Encinitas Sandy Beaches and Bluffs

Encinitas Historical Society HQ

Look what I found in the Encinitas Historical Society archives, at the old schoolhouse next to Pacific View.

Noonan Point (aka Swamis) before the SRF

I interpret the speckled band between the sand and the bluff as a strip of exposed cobblestones. Because of early accounts and photos like these, I conclude that cobbles are not alien to our beaches or a diagnostic sign of a bankrupt sand budget.

Moonlight Beach, the Early Years (1940?)

In the foreground and near the D Street zone you can get the sense that the usable beach was wider than today. If you look toward Swamis I don't get the sense that you "could run along the beach between Moonlight and Swamis without getting wet at high tide." That is the critical test for some sand lobbyists.

The high berm doesn't look that far off the bluff face, so it is tough for me to say that the total volume of sand was really that much different than today.

Moonlight Memories Postcard, 1975

JP and I have childhood memories of our beaches being much higher and wider. This postcard provides evidence that our memories were correct. It seems that the 70s and early 80s were the anomaly.

SEE ALSO:
Cobbles present at the beginning of Encinitas
Romancing the cobblestone
Aceti's inspiring quotes about cobbles
Sand in the 60s
The entire sand trilogy

Random Reason Why I Love Leucadia: Geese and Horses

Random Reason why I love Leucadia: Chickens

Leucadia may be the last beach community in southern California where you still see chickens wandering around. Love it.

Discuss Trees on March 11th and 18th

FYI-The Tree Policy put together by the Environmental Commission is being presented to the Encinitas City Council on March 11th.

March 18th the Urban Forest Management Policy (prepared by the Environmental Commission) will be presented to Council for consideration.

*note-can someone confirm the details of this, why two different dates for basically the same topic?

New Trees and New Views

Orpheus Park March 2009

See Also:
What other verbal agreements does the city of Encinitas have?
Local Hero Saves Tree then goes on Vacation