Santa Monica Daily Press, January 05, 2009

Page 1

COMMENTARY

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

EARTH TALK

CONTRIBUTIONS TAINT COUNCIL MEMBERS PAGE 4 RISING SEAS A BITTER TASTE PAGE 7

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2009

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Volume 7 Issue 356

Santa Monica Daily Press TAKE A HIKE SEE PAGE 3

Since 2001: A news odyssey

THE WORKING TOGETHER ISSUE

Money woes powering plot sales

COMMUNITYPROFILES SMCLC & SANTA MONICA TREESAVERS

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

File photo

MAKING A POINT: Santa Monica Treesavers held a number of rallies in 2008 to challenge City Hall’s decision to remove trees in Downtown.

Groups that mattered in ‘08 BY MELODY HANATANI

For these groups, the fight continues.

Daily Press Staff Writer

BATTLING FOR THE TREES

VIRGINIA AVENUE PARK They took to the streets, waving signs that expressed their distaste for the amount of traffic that has built up in Santa Monica, encouraging passing motorists to honk if they shared the same sentiment. There were less than two weeks before the election in which residents would be asked to authorize a 75,000 annual cap on commercial development in the city and it was crunch time for members of Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City, the authors of Measure T. While the measure would ultimately lose on Election Day, the advocacy group had already succeeded in bringing the issue of development and traffic to the forefront far before the polls closed on Nov. 4, as evidenced by the amount of honking and support received on the day of the rally outside of Virginia Avenue Park. There were many groups that made an impact in Santa Monica in 2008, but it was the activities of two in particular — SMCLC and the Santa Monica Treesavers — whose activities commanded headlines and brought attention to issues that struck a chord with many residents.

Susan Hartley has a few choice words when asked how to describe the experience of fighting for the ficus trees over the past year, including “educational, exhilarating, frustrating and rewarding.” “It was a real eye-opener into Santa Monica’s misuse of public power and funds as well as our officials’ ignorance or disregard of the environmental benefits of our urban tree canopy,” she said. The Sunset Park resident is one of four founders of the Treesavers, along with peace activist Jerry Rubin, architect Dan Jansenson, and filmmaker Chris Paine. The challenge for the Treesavers began in the summer of 2007 when the City Council approved a Downtown beautification project that included the removal and transplantation of 54 ficuses from Second and Fourth streets. After subsequently filing a lawsuit alleging violations of the California Environmental Quality Act in the fall, the Treesavers essentially began 2008 taking a hit when the Landmarks Commission denied a petition to historically preserve the specimens. The hearing was followed by a series of battles lost for the Treesavers, starting in February when the City Council denied the Treesavers’ appeal to the commission’s deci-

Gary Limjap

sion, followed by a defeat in Los Angeles Superior Court when a judge ruled that the activists were too late in filing a lawsuit because the statute of limitations had expired. The case went to the state appellate court but was eventually dismissed in May. City Hall in the meantime revised its tree removal and relocation plan, scaling it down from 54 to 23, a battle won for the Treesavers. Just days after the court ruled in favor of City Hall, 23 ficus trees whose conditions had been deemed a threat to public safety were removed. For Rubin, who was later arrested for tying himself to one of the trees slated for relocation on Fourth Street, it was a sight he can’t forget. “It happened when it didn’t need to happen,” Rubin said. The year ended on a somewhat positive note for the Treesavers as the City Council indicated it could consider its request to form an urban forestry commission that would advise on matters such as the removal of any trees. It is where the activists have been focusing their attention since suggesting the commission in the spring. “We’re not saying it should be comprised only of Treesavers’ point of view, but SEE CP PAGE 8

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LOS ANGELES Burial plot brokers are reporting an unprecedented uptick in the business of reselling grave sites, as money troubles prompt a growing number of people to put their burial plots up for sale, often at a loss. Baron Chu, who owns the burial site resale business Plot Brokers, said he is doing nine or 10 times as much business as usual, a jump he attributes to the economic downturn. Chu said people are only getting about a quarter of what their plots would have fetched six months ago because of the increased supply hitting the burial plot market. He said one client, who had just been evicted from her home, got $500 for a plot worth $6,800. “It allowed her to move into a hotel for a month where she can live and look for work,” he said. “It kept her out of Skid Row.” In some cases, the sales are breaking up plots that have remained in families for generations. Southern California native Carol Lieberman said she is trying to sell two adjoining plots at a cemetery in the Mission Hills area where her parents and other family members are buried. “I need the money,” Lieberman said. California State University, Northridge, psychology professor Stan Charnofsky said people who sell their burial plots face a difficult dilemma of weighing their financial needs in life against their desire and need for a peaceful resting place beside family members after death. “It’s a decision to make between the history of your family and the current survival of your family,” Charnofsky said. “A lot of people are obviously concluding it’s more important to survive."

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