[ACT] "New" Stump Signs + Mr. Sheldon Caught in the Act...

Thu Feb 26 22:07:12 PST 2009

On Feb 25, 2009, at 10:26 PM, Gaboon wrote:

Dear Tree Huggers,

As you probably know, the stump messages on Colorado Blvd. were  
painted out with green and/or black paint sometime Monday afternoon.  
At least they lasted the weekend, generating many calls to the  
Mayor's office asking that the remaining old trees be spared. The  
stump messages are back, but now on signs nailed onto the stumps!

If Pasadena really values public input, why did they go to the  
expense of obliterating the tree messages that provide the Mayor's  
phone number? Maybe a majority of the public does hate the big trees  
and would request that they be cut down. I doubt that, but its  
possible. What are they afraid of? Afraid of finding out what the  
public really thinks about what is being done?

That said, I returned today to see if any more trees had been felled,  
to photograph the new stump signs, and to get a late lunch at the  
sandwich shop across from Vroman's. See photos below. It was lucky I  
took photos right away, because the new signs were removed shortly  
thereafter. Ripped off by an angry businessman... Guess who? I  
watched as Joel Sheldon, the owner of Vroman's, angrily tore off each  
sign (sometimes in pieces, they were nailed down real good) on  
Colorado Blvd. from Lake to Vroman's. He was clearly agitated, though  
the sign on the stump in front of Vroman's was supportive of local  
business owners. It said:

"Other cities help businesses fix sidewalks & sewers. Pasadena spends  
$130,000 cutting down trees instead. That's dumb."
[See first photo below for the entire message on that sign. ]

I was across the street at the sandwich shop when I saw Mr. Sheldon  
tearing off the signs. I tried to grab my camera out of a bag and get  
it out of its case in time to catch him in the act; however, by the  
time I got my camera out, he was walking away. I hollered across the  
street at him, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Sheldon!" But  
he just walked faster. If you look close in the photo below, on the  
left side, you can barely see him in his blue suit, clutching all the  
white signs in his left hand that he ripped off the stumps in front  
businesses other than his own. I regret not getting a clear frontal  
shot of him angrily tearing signs off the painted stumps.

I think we can safely conclude that Mr. Joel Sheldon's remorse over  
the trees being cut is disingenuous and hypocritical.

FYI, find photos and "new" stump messages below. The slogan on each  
one is different with identical information below about the upcoming  
Council meeting.

It really does not make sense that the Mayor and City Council are  
willing to implement a moratorium on cutting healthy trees, but  
refuse to include the old trees on Colorado Blvd. in that moratorium.  
Is it stubbornness and embarrassment that prevents them from  
admitting that they have misjudged the issue and public opinion on  
this matter? Or does the Pasadena Playhouse District Association,  
along with a few prominent business owners, have that much clout over  
Pasadena's alleged "public servants?"

Why on Earth won't the Mayor and City Council listen to the advice  
from their own Urban Forestry Advisory Committee? UFAC said, "Don't  
cut down the mature trees."

Hopefully, there will be a good showing of concerned citizens at the  
next Council meeting who can talk some common sense into the Mayor  
and City Council before more majestic old trees go down and become  
forever lost to us and to future generations.

Respectfully,
Lori

- - -

- - -

Stump sign in front of Vroman's that was torn off and carried away by  
Mr. Sheldon, owner of Vroman's books.

See close-up of this sign in next photo...

Note sticky goop spread on the trees... It is not tree sap! It looks  
as if someone tried to clean off the paint to restore the original  
stump message?

Replacement message on the stump in front of Vroman's after Mr.  
Sheldon ripped the first one off:

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