Ficus see-saw

The City are leading Santa Monica Treesavers a dance- one moment we think the Ficus trees are going to be cut down any moment and we monitor the streets at unsociable hours- then we hear we have a temporary reprieve, the Court having said they cannot be touched until a judgment is made- THEN we hear that the City are disregarding the Court Order, claiming they have got to be cut down immediately because they are a danger to the public. Hearing the city are having a "closed meeting" to discuss the trees, back we all troop to City Hall to try to make the Mayor and Councilmembers see sense. Why have 23 trees suddenly become such a threat?

Back to the streets we go on our 24/7 watch....and now we have heard that, after letters from our great Attorney, Tom Nitti, they realize they cannot cut them down without the Court's permission- so they write to the Court saying their Arborist has stated on oath that the trees are potentially dangerous to the point of causing DEATHS! This is all very strange- in spite of this great danger pedestrians are able to wander freely among these land-mines, without any warnings of the dangers they are being subjected to.

Curiously, the Cities independent arborist Cy Carlberg only declared 3 trees out of the 23 to be in the High risk category and NONE in the Severe category, while the majority were in the Low one...

At least now we don't have to fear the chain-saws are coming immediately- but we DO have to fear that the Court will be led by misleading Oaths.

While patrolling the streets, I was yet again very moved by these beautiful, sensuous, innocent trees- and here are images of some of those under threat of destruction: