HAHN URGES SAVING 400-YEAR-OLD TREE.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. - 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. Mayor James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California on Thursday urged county officials to spare the 400-year-old oak tree in Pico Canyon dubbed ``Old Glory,'' saying its preservation would be a holiday gift to all of Los Angeles. Supporters of the tree hailed Hahn's intervention as a breakthrough in the 42-day stalemate over the fate of the massive tree, which the developer of a nearby subdivision wants to move a quarter-mile to an oak preserve. ``In the interest of preserving some of the historical natural integrity of 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. , and the majesty of this obviously symbolic tree, I urge you to explore all avenues to save the oak tree from destruction or removal,'' Hahn wrote in a letter to 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. . Yet county officials remain adamant about moving the tree, saying it's the best solution for Stevenson Ranch and the Santa Clarita Valley. ``It is obvious that Hahn has only heard one side of the story,'' said Anthony Bell Anthony Bell (born February 7, 1964 in Miami, Florida) is a retired American football linebacker that played at Michigan State University and for the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL. , a spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San . Los Angeles County officials ordered the tree uprooted to widen Pico Canyon Road, the main thoroughfare west of the Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. , to accommodate future development, including the planned fifth phase of Stevenson Ranch and the 21,600-home Newhall Ranch project. Although arborists hired by developer John Laing Homes are confident the tree will survive the relocation, other tree experts contend the move is tantamount to a death sentence. ``It's extremely encouraging that Mayor Hahn shares our passion and respect for Old Glory,'' said John Quigley, who has been perched in the boughs of the tree on and off since Nov. 1, when an agreement protecting the tree expired. Hahn spoke with Quigley on a morning radio talk show hosted by Spanish-language radio disc jockey Renan Almendarez Coello, popularly known as El Cucuy, on KSCA-FM (101.9). ``It would be a wonderful gift to the people of Los Angeles at this holiday season to quickly come to a resolution to keep this heritage oak tree in its current location,'' Hahn said on the air. However, Stevenson Ranch Town Council President Paul Ash said he was frustrated that Hahn would weigh in on an issue 30 miles away from his office in Los Angeles City Hall. ``He's taken the easy position,'' Ash said. ``The bottom line is that we need the road to be expanded for the health and safety of our community.'' Last week, the Town Council, which advises the Board of Supervisors on issues in Stevenson Ranch, asked Santa Clarita to mind its own business after the City Council urged county officials to consider every possible solution before chopping down the tree. ``Moving the tree is the best solution our community has come up with,'' Ash said. ``It's not ideal, but it's what's best for our community.'' |
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