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CITIZENS FIGHT FOR OAKS.


Construction of a shopping center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into  that would destroy an oak grove Oak grove may refer to
  • Oak Grove, a placename in (particularly) the United States.
  • sacred grove, a feature of paganism in Europe.

Oak Grove is a common name for several places in the United States of America.
 in Fayetteville, Arkansas
For the surrounding metropolitan area (Northwest Arkansas) see Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metropolitan area
Fayetteville is a college town in Washington County, Arkansas, USA and home to the University of Arkansas.
, recently pitted tree lovers against city government in this peaceful university town in the scenic Ozark hills.

The battle began last spring when Fayetteville landscape administrator Kim Hesse informed city officials that construction of a 30-acre mail would violate a 1993 tree ordinance. Developer Argus Properties appealed to the city council, prompting Republican Mayor Fred Hanna to comment that the proposed mall was more important to the city than the grove of 100-year-old oaks.

Argus offered a compromise plan that would preserve some 10 percent of the existing trees, still less than the 15 percent the ordinance required. That proposal won acceptance from the Fayetteville planning commission Noun 1. planning commission - a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments
commission, committee - a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" - Milton Berle
, and a vote by the city council failed to overturn the decision.

That's when 53-year-old grandmother Mary Lightheart decided to invade the construction site and set up camp in one of the threatened oaks.

Her protest prompted developers to demand the arrest of anyone crossing their property. A short time later Fayetteville resident Ginny Masullo was detained while taking food to Lightheart. Police also detained and ticketed more than 30 other protesters.

As Lightheart watched from her lofty spot, a 150-member citizen's group vowed to defeat Mayor Hanna in Fayetteville's upcoming election. The Washington County Washington County is the name of 30 counties and one parish in the United States of America, all named for George Washington. It is the most common county name in the United States.  League of Women Voters League of Women Voters, voluntary public service organization of U.S. citizens. Organized in 1920 in Chicago as an outgrowth of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, it had as its original nucleus the leaders of the latter organization.  also sued the city for failing to enforce the tree ordinance.

Three weeks after climbing up one of the oaks, Lightheart descended to answer a court summons, only to be arrested when she sought to return to her perch. Meanwhile, a pair of Fayetteville police officers set up round-the-clock surveillance at the construction site.

Two months after the conflict surfaced and in the aftermath of legal haggling, tree supporters surrendered when they couldn't raise the money for a $310,000 band requested by a county judge. Workers soon cleared timber from the construction site, including the 135-year-old post oak that had been Mary Lightheart's home for almost a month.

As buildozers felled one huge oak after another, protesters vowed to fight for an airtight air·tight  
adj.
1. Impermeable by air.

2. Having no weak points; sound: an airtight excuse.


airtight
Adjective

1.
 city tree ordinance and to replace both the mayor and the city council when their terms expired.
COPYRIGHT 2001 American Forests
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2001, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Article Details
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Author:Lantz, Gary
Publication:American Forests
Article Type:Brief Article
Geographic Code:1U7AR
Date:Jan 1, 2001
Words:361
Previous Article:JUST PEACHY.
Next Article:ASK THE TREE DOCTOR.
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