Posted on 05/24/2006 5:16:31 AM PDT by decimon
LOS ANGELES - Folk singer Joan Baez and tree-sitter Julia "Butterfly" Hill have taken up residence in a tree to raise awareness about a 14-acre urban farm threatened with demolition.
Hill, who lived in a redwood in Northern California for more than two years to prevent loggers from cutting it down, said Tuesday that she, Baez and others will occupy the tree in shifts.
Two door-sized platforms have been placed in the tree for the sitters, and a support group has set up an encampment on the ground.
Hundreds of farmers could face evictions after The Trust for Public Land came up $10 million short in its bid to buy the site. The nonprofit group was not able to raise the $16.35 million required by the time the purchase option expired Monday.
The trust signed a contract in April with landowner Ralph Horowitz to buy 10 of the 14 acres in south Los Angeles where about 350 families, most of them working-class immigrants from Central America, tend small plots of fruits and vegetables.
Hill said she was protesting now because Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has pledged support for the farmers but has not come through yet.
Villaraigosa's spokesman did not immediately return a message left after business hours Tuesday.
Deputy Mayor Larry Frank has said the city was trying to help the farmers move to other sites, including an 8-acre plot which can accommodate 200 of them.
Gimme a chainsaw, I'll cut the damn thing down.
L
"Ethel, me and the dogs are goin' out for some huntin'. I got that feelin' it'll be some big ones"
She was just looking for some grubs to eat!
urban farm? Isn't that an Oxymoron? Joan Baez is an Ax-ymoron ,,,,,,,,,,,
The tree house is probably more luxurious than the homes the "workers" have to live in.
I guess nobody asked the tree if they wanted construction done on it either?
Just another nut, hanging onto a branch for dear life.
Instead of getting hard ourselves and trying to compete, women should try and give their best qualities to men - bring them softness, teach them how to cry.
Joan Baez, Sexism Seen but not Heard, Los Angeles Times, 1974
Poison the tree, plow everything around it. They will come down.
They should be sued for not doing an environmental impact study on what the platforms and the encampment would do to the tree.
Redwood. The other patio decking that is good.
I can't think of any better place for her.
Set the tree onfire.
The process is simple: Cut the invader, put a dab of herbicide on the stump to stop resprouting.
One type of rat - the roof rat - is an agile climber that can shinny the outside of a three-inch diameter pipe or any size pipe within three inches of a wall. Rats are even capable of climbing INSIDE vertical pipes that are one-and-a-half to four inches in diameter. What's more, they're excellent jumpers and capable of dropping from a height of fifty feet without seriously harming themselves.
They needed $16.35 million, but came up $10 million short? They raised ~$6.35 million toward $16.35 million?
Approximately 39% is not "coming up short." It's not even half way.
But like any nutty leftist, they try things the legitimate way, but when they fail, they expect to get their way regardless of reality, because their way is the only "just" way.
The Trust for Public Land came up $10 million short in its bid to buy the site.
At that point they need to STFU.
No need to be alarmed, folks! It's just old crazy Joanie reminding us she's still with us.
No rush about getting her down, either.
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