JUDGE: GET DOWN NOW FOLLOW ORDER OR BE ARRESTED, TREE-SITTER QUIGLEY WARNED.Byline: Naush Boghossian and Bhavna Mistry Staff Writers 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. - The battle over an ancient oak tree - one that has been home to tree-sitter 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. for seven weeks - was drawing to a close late Friday as sheriff's deputies prepared to force him from his perch if he refused an order to come down. As darkness fell, Quigley waited patiently, wondering whether Friday was the night his peaceful protest in the tree - dubbed dub 1 tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs 1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood. 2. To honor with a new title or description. 3. Old Glory by those who have fought to save it - would end. ``I've been prepared to deal with this since the first day I climbed up the tree,'' Quigley said. ``I'm prepared now. It's inside. It's emotional. At times like this, you find out what you're made of.'' The tree-sitter earlier had denied requests to climb down from the tree, but said he knew he would be safe. Hours earlier a 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. Superior Court judge ordered Quigley, 42, out of the centuries-old oak, but the tree-sitter vowed to resist, saying he would chain his arms to the massive tree that stands in the path of a planned highway. The court order opened the door for developer 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 to have Quigley physically removed from the tree to end his 71-day peaceful protest. ``John Quigley is ordered to vacate To annul, set aside, or render void; to surrender possession or occupancy. The term vacate has two common usages in the law. With respect to real property, to vacate the premises means to give up possession of the property and leave the area totally devoid of contents. and leave this oak tree and remain outside the perimeter of this fence,'' Superior Court Judge John P. Shook said. Time is crucial to the development company, which plans to move the oak during its winter dormancy Dormancy In the broadest sense, the state in which a living plant organ (seed, bud, tuber, bulb) fails to exhibit growth, even when environmental conditions are considered favorable. . Already, green leaves are sprouting and, 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. Friday's court motion, the relocation RELOCATION, Scotch law, contracts. To let again to renew a lease, is called a relocation. 2. When a tenant holds over after the expiration of his lease, with the consent of his landlord, this will amount to a relocation. process must begin by Wednesday or the work will be delayed about nine months. On Friday, the weary crew of activists who have held vigil vigil (vĭj`əl) [Lat.,=watch], in Christian calendars, eve of a feast, a day of penitential preparation. In ancient times worshipers gathered for vespers before a great feast and then waited outside the church until dawn for the liturgy (Mass). at the tree since Nov. 1, supplying Quigley with food, water, cell phones and moral support, stood by as time ran out for them to file an appeal. The group set up camp at the entrance to a new tract of high-priced homes that will be served by a widened Pico Canyon Road. To widen the road, the developer plans to remove the tree. ``We are digging in,'' said Tom Barron, an activist. ``Now we are sitting on the front of the step of Southern Oaks. We're hanging in there.'' The temporary restraining order temporary restraining order: see injunction. approved by Shook ordered the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. to remove Quigley from the tree. If he tries to climb the oak again, he will be arrested, according to the order. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4 on John Laing's charge of trespassing against Quigley. Anthony Zinnanti, an attorney representing Quigley, questioned what a few more days or weeks would matter so a full hearing could be heard on the tree's welfare. Zinnanti stepped in to replace attorney Jennifer Kilpatrick, who suffered severe spinal injuries in a Metrolink train collision Monday. Anticipating the end of the standoff stand·off n. 1. A tie or draw, as in a contest. 2. A situation in which one force neutralizes or counterbalances the other. 3. A standoff insulator. adj. Standoffish. , a crowd of 30 or 40 gathered outside a barrier erected around the tree early Thursday when Quigley was served with the civil complaint of trespassing and ordered to appear in court Friday. ``Save our oak! Save our oak,'' shouted a small group of neighborhood children who had spent the holidays with Quigley at the tree. They cheered and sang patriotic songs as the sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau planned its ``North County operation.'' ``John, John, he's our man. He can do it. Yes he can!'' the youngsters cheered. ``John, we love you!'' The county is withholding $7 million in bond financing until John Laing Homes finishes the section of highway. Local environmentalists and Laing had sought a compromise, but the county, led by 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 , insisted that the tree be removed. Plans to actually move the tree, rather than cutting it down, came later, but several experts said the tedious process of gathering up Old Glory's roots would kill the oak. Bill Rattazi, president of the development company's local division, said on several occasions he had hoped to save the tree, but was under a county order to expand the highway. ``We are in the business of building communities, not tearing things down,'' said Stacy McDaniel, Laing Homes general counsel. ``We've vigorously sought alternative solutions ... and we had no option but to seek this court order to remove Mr. Quigley so we could act now to preserve the tree by relocating it.'' The expanded Pico Canyon Road is necessary to serve the expanding Stevenson Ranch area as well as the planned - but not yet approved - Newhall Ranch project, which would bring 21,600 homes. See an updated version of this story in Main news. CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Sheriff's deputies, ordered by a judge to remove John Quigley from Old Glory, stand ready on Friday. (2 -- 3 -- color) A seemingly defeated John Quigley perches in the branches of the centuries-old oak tree, above, as his attorney, Anthony Zinnanti, left, talks with his client through a security fence surrounding the tree. Quigley says he'll chain himself to the tree rather than be arrested by deputies ordered to remove him. (4) John Quigley perches among the branches of the old tree, ringed by a fence erected by developer John Laing Homes, which plans to move it. (5) Rosa Andrade, 11, and her dad, Omar Gonzalez, came from Los Angeles to see the tree and read signs of support. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion