The Oak Seedling, The Irony And The Email Campaign

Patch heard from five Piedmonters Friday all with the same message:

Isn’t it ironic that the city is planning to plant an oak in Crocker Park on April 22 to mark Arbor Day (and Earth Day), while at the same time signing off on a sports field project in canyonside Blair Park that includes the cutting of 55 oaks?

At the risk of showing the man behind the curtain, Patch received a forwarded email that illustrated what was going on:

“If you find it just slightly ironic and hypocritical that the city plans to plant a single live oak tree, while proposing to cut down 55 mature, live oak trees, plus 100 additional trees, in Blair Park, please take a moment to send an email letter to the publications listed below, especially if you haven't written a public letter in support of Moraga Canyon before. We think it’s important to point out to Piedmont residents – and the rest of the world – the fallacy of the city’s actions … We hope to inundate the press.”

And that’s how it went. A short message came from John Lezotte of Piedmont:

“Not intended to be factual information can best describe the City Council of Piedmont. Their cynical planting of 1 live oak while cutting down 55 mature live oaks along with another 100 trees is the ultimate of don't do what I do, do what I say. Bravo Piedmont — a new low in double talk.”

Another short one came from Samuel and Donna Harrison: “Piedmont could raise its consciousness by stepping back and looking at the situation, listening to the hundreds of vocal opponents, realizing there are likely thousands more and accepting the very right idea that the Blair Canyon project is wrong.”

Making the same point with many more words was a letter to the editor from Serra Sabuncuoglu, a former longtime Piedmont resident, at .

The city is planning to plant a Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia, a native California tree, at Crocker Park at 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 22, on Earth Day (but officially this is to mark Arbor Day, which was the first Friday in April). As has become an annual custom, the city invites classes of schoolchildren to witness the planting for Arbor Day.

There will be an appearance from Smokey the Bear, along with City Council members, the Piedmont Garden Club, the Piedmont Beautification Foundation and the Piedmont Recreation School Program.

“We are proud of our Arbor Day ceremony,” said City Administrator Geoff Grote Friday. The city has been staging one for more than a decade.

Grote said it’s fine for citizens to protest plans to build a sports field, but he was disappointed to see people use a Blair Park position as a platform to attack other city programs.

to create an artificial turf, multi-sport field in canyonside Blair Park, with parking and a walkway and steps. The approval was contingent upon the group promoting the project, the Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization, submitting traffic safety alternatives to the current plan to have a pedestrian-activated, flashing light crosswalk across Moraga Avenue, to be reviewed by the City Council at a future meeting.

Grote noted that city officials have insisted in talks with the PRFO that the group include an extensive planting program adding more trees for ones that must be cut to grade the site for a field. They were urged to “save as many oaks as possible while accomplishing the project,” Grote said.

“We invite those who think that it’s hypocritical to come to the Arbor Day celebration and join in the spirit of the day,” Grote said.

The PRFO plan is to develop 3.6 acres of the 5.6 acres of Blair Park to “help alleviate the critical shortage of recreational fields facing Piedmont youth sports and recreation programs,” according to the organization’s Web site.