BATTLE GOES ON EX-TREE-SITTER SAYS OLD OAK STILL ON MIND.Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer STEVENSON RANCH Stevenson Ranch, California (in the 91381 ZIP Code) is a Los Angeles County, USA, unincorporated community west of Santa Clarita a few miles south of Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. The Stevenson Ranch fountain was redone in 2007. - For the first time in 72 days, John Quigley John B. Quigley is a professor of law at the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University, where he is the Presidents' Club Professor of Law. In 1995 he was recipient of The Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar Award. was not in his perch in the boughs of a 400-year-old oak tree as dawn broke Saturday over Pico Canyon and the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. . After being cut out of the majestic tree by Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County sheriff's deputies and firefighters late Friday night, Quigley slept in his own bed for the first time since Nov. 1, when his vigil to save the massive oak tree - dubbed Old Glory - began . ``My emotions are all over the place,'' Quigley said from his Pacific Palisades Palisades, cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, NE N.J. and SE N.Y., extending from N of Jersey City, N.J., to the vicinity of Piermont, N.Y., with a general altitude of from 350 ft to 550 ft (107–168 m). home. ``The last few days were so intense, it's difficult to adjust to everything, but it feels good to be on the ground.'' Despite his exhaustion he awoke early, Quigley said, because he was concerned that crews hired by John Laing For John Laing, the 15th century bishop of Glasgow, see John Laing (bishop) John Laing plc is a British developer and operator of privately financed, public sector infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, hospitals and schools through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Homes, the developer of a nearby subdivision, had already begun working to relocate the old oak a quarter-mile away - a move Quigley and other environmentalists contend is tantamount to a death sentence for the tree. ``It's not over,'' Quigley said. ``This is the start of Phase 2 of the campaign to save Old Glory. We got a lot of fight left in us.'' In fact, Quigley, 42, and dozens of protesters returned to the tree Saturday afternoon to once again call for Los Angeles County officials to build the road around the tree. ``There is no reason it can't be done,'' Quigley said. Department of Public Works public works pl.n. Construction projects, such as highways or dams, financed by public funds and constructed by a government for the benefit or use of the general public. Noun 1. officials have rejected plans to save the tree drawn up by the environmentalists, saying they violate county standards. County officials contend the tree needs to be relocated to allow Pico Canyon Road to be widened from two to four lanes to accommodate future development west of Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, , including the fifth phase of Stevenson Ranch and the planned 21,600-home Newhall Ranch, which could be approved by the county Board of Supervisors The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. The Board of Supervisors is the body governing counties in the U.S. on Jan. 28. ``We may have lost this battle, but the war is to save all of the valley's trees and make sure they do a better, smarter job of development,'' said Larry Kanner, the first vice president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment. Environmentalists plan to continue their 24-hour watch over the tree from behind barricades erected by the developer about 200 yards from the tree, Quigley said. Sheriff's officials and private security guards will continue to police the chain-link fence across Pico Canyon Road to ensure that the dispute does not heat up again, officials said. No problems were reported Saturday, and none of the protesters - including a small group that knocked over a section of fence - were arrested Friday, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Sheriff's Lt. Steve Dolan. Anthony Zinnanti, Quigley's lawyer, said he planned to spend the weekend focusing on the lawsuit filed by SCOPE against John Laing Homes, charging that the developer breached a 1999 agreement to save the tree. ``I'm going to crack the books and find a way to prevent that tree from being moved,'' Zinnanti said, indicating he may seek a temporary restraining order temporary restraining order: see injunction. . ``I promise we will take swift and deliberate action to protect Old Glory.'' The process of uprooting the tree must begin by Wednesday, while its root system remains dormant for the winter, said Bill Rattazzi, president of the Los Angeles division of John Laing Homes. The complicated process will take about four months and cost $300,000, he said. ``It's unfortunate that it had to play out this way,'' Rattazzi said. ``I'm relieved that no one has been hurt in what is a very emotional situation.'' However, before work can begin, Rattazzi must hire a firm willing to attempt the transplant, which most arborists say has only a slim chance Noun 1. slim chance - little or no chance of success fat chance probability, chance - a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible; "the probability that an of succeeding. Valley Crest Co. of Sylmar pulled out of its contract with John Laing Homes several weeks ago after its offices were picketed and employees were threatened over the company's involvement with Old Glory. Throughout the day Saturday, curiosity-seekers drove by the massive tree while joggers, bicyclists and dog walkers went about their normal weekend routine in the rustic canyon. ``I was watching the situation on TV last night, and I wanted to see Old Glory for myself,'' said Laurel Digangi, a Valencia resident. ``It's a shame, really, what's going to happen to the tree.'' CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) An L.A. County Sheriff's Department team cuts away John Quigley's metal bracelet Friday night to dislodge dis·lodge v. dis·lodged, dis·lodg·ing, dis·lodg·es v.tr. To remove or force out from a position or dwelling previously occupied. v.intr. him from a disputed oak at Stevenson Ranch. (2 -- ran in SAC edition only) Fans and news camera crews cluster around John Quigley after his physical removal Friday from the controversial tree nicknamed Old Glory. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News (3 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Environmentalist environmentalist a person with an interest and knowledge about the interaction of humans and animals with the environment. John Quigley is surrounded by Old Glory fans at a press conference Saturday near another oak tree. (4 -- 5 -- ran in SAC edition only) At left, dislodged tree-sitter John Quigley holds up a folded American flag to fans as he and girlfriend Susan Cox, walk away from the tree Friday night. At right, protesters to save Old Glory sing folk songs from the '60s at Stevenson Ranch before Quigley's press conference Saturday. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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