Human Over Development or Deer Over Population?

A separate blog has been created to discuss the issue of the deer "hunt" in South Mountain Reservation.

Because this blog, Over development in West Orange, NJ, is the property of WE CARE (West Essex Committee Against Rezoning Excess) it was suggested that we keep the two issues separate. WE CARE has three significant objectives on its plate, and diluting our efforts could be detrimental.

One of the objectives of WE CARE is to halt or at least limit the residential and commercial development of forested and wet land areas---- such as the 180 acres behind the West Essex Highlands. This development will necessitate the removal of 27,000 trees to make way for a housing development of 129 single family homes. The forested area is adjacent to the towns of Essex Fells and Verona.

We are hopeful that the newly adopted tree ordinance in West Orange will challenge the developer sufficiently, and doubt that the current economic climate and real estate market would encourage any one to build at this time.

But, this objective of WE CARE should focus forward, as well as focus backwards. The economy will one day improve, as will the stock and real estate markets. So, we need to be proactive in preparation for that "one day". No one knows for sure how long it will be before it arrives. WE CARE needs to be in position for that "one day".

And WE CARE is proceeding to bring on legal counsel toward that end.

Which brings us to looking backwards.

Despite the diverging and often vitriolic opinions about the "hunt" in the Reservation, some calling it a necessity and some calling it a slaughter, there is consensus on one issue, and possibly only one issue.

That issue is the recognition that the displacement of the deer and their concentration in the Reservation stems from the removal of the native habitat of the deer throughout West Essex. At one point, man and deer did coexist and there was a natural order of predation that kept the number of deer limited. With the development, the natural predators have disappeared and the land for deer to graze on has been concentrated in the few natural areas still left in place.

Unfortunately, one of these areas is the South Mountain Reservation where the deer are being identified as the cause of defoliation, Lyme Disease and car accidents.

The evidence of this is counter pointed at every turn.

And we certainly can't undo the massive amount of development that has taken place already. No one is ready to give up their homes or parks or golf courses so that the deer can live safely.

But though we have made the effort to keep the deer issue and the land conservation issue two separate threads of conversation, they do intertwine.

And wherever the deer issue is going, those concerned with Over Development should be there as well. In this particular instance, the fate of one is in arguably tied to the fate of the other.

Deer Hunt Bogus on All Counts

This post has been moved to a new blog not associated with WE CARE. Please click here:


http://notsoprettystories.blogspot.com/

A Night at the Opera

Strange title ,this one, to describe a Municipal Council meeting in West Orange. Yet, the comparisons are possible.

This past Tuesday night, August 12, the Council convened for a second reading of the Tree Ordinance. This second reading was to be the culmination of a year's work on the part of several environmental volunteers and the Council members as well. In fact, the discussion languished for so long, there were now new members on the Council whose seal of approval would be the first significant business of their newly seated council membership.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the relatively large audience was "keyed up" awaiting the reading, much as the audience feels prior to an operatic performance.

Like the works of Puccini, this opera was to be verisimo, an ordinary event within a melodramatic situation.

And none who came were very disappointed in the performance.

Objections to certain vague definitions were repeated by several people who got up to speak, a chorus of harmonious voices.

There were high notes reached during the discussion when one council member or another appeared to find their voice..... and their purpose in serving on the council.

And though the evening ended late and not quite perfectly, the coda--- or conclusion---- was agreeable.

A not perfect, but reasonably good ordinance, was passed and the performers, both from the audience and from the council seats, were invited to take their bows.

Jerry Sharfman was lauded for his endurance and vision for leading the cast of environmental volunteers for low these many months. And the council as a whole was recognized for their deliberation and, in their final moments, their wisdom and flexibility.

But were I to single out two divas in the overall evening, it would be Councilwoman Susan McCartney who even in the last moments truly seemed determined to make the ordinance as strong as possible,as well as newly-elected Councilwoman Patty Spango who strengthened her own support of the better ordinance based on what she was seeing and hearing at this meeting. Both women deserve an extra round of applause and a few bravas for their attention and perseverance. As does Councilman Renard Barnes who, as newly elected President of the Council, is doing a bravissimo job of conducting council meetings with the patience and stature of a great statesman.

The Ever Changing American Landscape

Having just returned from a week in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina, the long ride home gave me ample opportunity to reflect on what was a glorious vacation.


Thinking about the Smokies as a vacation destination, I had been apprehensive about what we would find, having visited and loved this area over 40 years ago. But I did know that housing had sprung up and multiplied in the area of Highlands, the town where we would be staying, and the numerous real estate offices we passed on the outskirts as well as within the town center had me concerned. Would these be the Smokies I remembered so fondly?


There is no denying it. The area has certainly become much more residential with private homes and housing "developments" in significant proliferation. But almost all of the "developments" are out of view of the road, and walking through them one would hardly qualify most as developments as we know them in the north east. The homes in the Highlands in developments are on large parcels of land, and the trees and shrubbery surrounding them is so dense it's impossible to see other homes. Neighbors may as well be a mile down the road though most are only an acre or two away beyond the green borders.


Despite the building boom that has taken place in 40 plus years, the character of Highlands and most of the neighboring towns has changed little. The country surroundings remain green, serene and beautiful and the little town center of Highlands has grown up considerably. There are now several upscale restaurants, a lovely hotel, antique and gift shops, ice cream parlors and other niceties that the residential population increase obviously suppports. In many respects, it reminds me of the European "village" model I have always coveted, a country house within a quick drive or long walk to the village center.


Of course, in these same four decades, the character of West Orange has changed, as has the character of many of the surrounding towns---- though not nearly as dramatically. West Orange in the 1970's was certainly not the country setting that Thomas and Mrs. Edison preferred, choosing to live here in 1885 rather than reside in the much more metropolitan NYC. But it is still recognizable as compared to four decades ago.


However, projecting 40 years into the future---- as determined by the current tree ordinance under consideration----- the town will no longer have the slightest resemblance to what it is today, let alone what it was four decades previously. Should this ordinance go through with the latest language, West Orange will undoubtedly become so densely populated that whatever trees remain after the building takes place will be few and far between. It will be bricks and mortar, and little else. The trees will be the decimal points and commas between houses, not the lush setting for the homes that they are now.


For those who chose to live in West Orange for its acres of woodlands and pleasant green spaces, there will be little attraction to stay. For those who might consider moving here in the decades to come, the urbanization that will undoubtedly happen with a weak tree ordinance will only add costs and decrease quality of life making the township most unappealing.


What the City Council decides in 2008 in regards to the preservation and protection of trees can very well be the architectural plan for West Orange's future, if it is to have one at all.

The Impact of Words

OK, we know that a municipal ordinance is not quite the stature of the Declaration of Independence, the writing Epidemics, or even the presidential inaugural address of 1961. But two things are clear. The current tree ordinance was crafted by some very good minds, and it took longer to craft than all three of these writings put together.

Most importantly, the power of words is immeasurable in what they connote and denote. Certainly the preamble to the current tree ordinance promises an appropriate document, one that will protect its greatest natural resource: " The Township Council of the Township of West Orange finds that: trees are among the Township’s most valuable natural resource assets, greatly enhancing the appearance of the Township and contributing to its suburban residential character."

But, alas, the promise is never fulfilled as one continues to read the subsequent clauses. The most striking lack of integrity in the language is signaled by the use of the phrase to the greatest extent possible. The phrase, in context, is the ultimate cop out, and compromises every other aspect of the ordinance. The circumvention of absolutes regarding the destruction, removal and replacement of trees, particularly as it relates to development projects, is in direct contrast to the golden promise of the preamble.

The council had the opportunity to be bold in creating this ordinance, but did not have the courage to commit to the vision they created in the first few paragraphs.

And if anyone believes that a few words here or there have no real impact, then consider these five words added on to the writings by Thomas Jefferson, Hippocrates and JFK.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness........to the greatest extent possible.

The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future - must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm.......to the greatest extent possible.

And so, my fellow americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.....to the greatest extent possible.

Would we have thought these writers and their writings to be extraordiary with these five words added on to what have become iconic phrases in the American lexicon?

Hardly. Their addition would have created confusion and, most likely, scorn.

Things have not changed that much over the years. These five words as applied to what is right and what is wrong in guarding our resources only raise the suspicions and rankle those who feel the town, its residents, and most obviously, its trees, deserve better.

Welcome to the West Orange Puppet Show

The meeting of the West Orange Township Council last night was the culmination of the shell game the Council members have been playing for a year. Here's the tree ordinance, there's the tree ordinance, where's the tree ordinance?

First and foremost, for a town the size and complexity of West Orange to not have a protective (operative word here is protective) tree ordinance is egregious. After a year of consideration, debate and enormous input, to put forth the kind of gutless ordinance read last night goes beyond egregious. It is offensive.

Now, lest anyone get the idea that this is just another bungling, inept, municipal government let's set the record straight. The fact that the tree ordinance is so full of holes it makes swiss cheese look solid is not just the usual bad government at work. Indeed, the council members may be incapable of getting out of their own way, but that is not the core reason the tree ordinance has no teeth.

The tree ordinance is not just imperfect, it is impotent by design.

Why would the council members not want a good tree ordinance?

Certainly there is a circuitous trail of campaign funds. These have benefitted every one from Mayor McKeon to every Council member and trace back to a major developer who most assuredly would not benefit from having a strong tree ordinance instituted.

But beyond that there is the issue of abslolute power.

Senator Codey, John McKeon, and the developer for the project slated to bring down 27,000 trees behind the West Essex Highlands are just too close for comfort. The Mayor has been heard to claim (and in public) that he "promised" Wilf, the developer, that this project would come about.

Never mind that it was never properly vetted, that it flies in the green "face" the town pretends it has, that it is totally unacceptable to the towns adjoining the 180 acres of land where the development is to take place, that it has raised safety concerns even among West Orange police and fire officials, that virtually every resident who will be within sound and sight of the blasting that will have to take place first rejects the project....Never mind any of that. The Mayor made his promise, and the Mayor is an honorable man.

And so the developer greases the wheels and pulls the strings. The Mayor dances to the developer's tune. The Council serves as the triage point for the ordinances to be considered with each of the council members having an obligation, not to the town or to the residents, but to the Mayor himself.

Does that sound like too much inter-connectedness?

Welcome to the West Orange puppet show. Now aren't you happy you live here?

Poor Old Mrs. Jones

The West Orange Council Chambers were quite full tonight as residents protesting the weakening of the Tree Ordinance politely made their case for a stronger ordinance.... and listened to the Council attempt to explain their "dilemma".

The presentations of several in the audience were quite impressive. There was the mention of Mayor McKeon having supported the Kyoto Accord to reduce green house gases. And here is Mayor McKeon now backing more and more development and tree removal every day in his own town!

There was also the very visual presentation of a tree trunk which was used to demonstrate how trees absorb stormwater runoff. Were the council not so determined to keep the evening short, it could have been mentioned that trees save their host city millions of dollars in infrastructure costs.

But the confluence for the evening was the Council offering as rationale for this diluted and quite useless ordinance the fact that there are two opposing needs: the need to protect individual property owners' rights and the need to preserve the township's trees.

Even if this split in needs were not the ostensible rationale for the Council not having any tree ordinance in place for almost a year, the reasoning strains credibility for all of us watching this process unfold.

In previous discussions, the Council spoke of the poor woman who has neither health, nor youthful mobility, nor monetary resources to appeal if she needed to take down a tree and the ordinance got in her way. Poor Old Mrs. Jones.

Yet, Paul Tractenberg in his presentation, spoke of much more onerous, expensive and confusing ordinances that would necessitate that Mrs. Jones spend time and money she does not have to hold a garage sale, dispose of her leaves or have her chimney relined. Professor Tractenberg's argument went right to the core of the Council explanation of this anemic ordinance. Why does the town council feel so strongly for Mrs. Jones if her hardship concerns removal of a tree, but demands that she go through a rigorous process if she wants to invite her neighbors to pick over her discarded treasures?

It really makes no sense.

And it totally defies logic that there are people in West Orange, who knowing all the facts, would advocate for the diluted tree ordinance that the council would obviously gladly accept. In its absolute application, this ordinance would preserve no trees at all.

Are we really to believe that the Council has heard from legions of Mrs. Jones' asking the Council's intervention to keep the tree ordinance toothless? Hard to believe.

But the Council proffers this moral conundrum as the reason the ordinance has taken 12 months to craft, and now has everyone going back to the drawing boards once again to come up with yet one more ordinance, one more solution.

A solution indicates that there is a problem. Sorry, Township Council. There really is no problem here except for what ever tacit agreement you made with the developers and/or with the Mayor to make certain that nothing and no one gets in the way of progress.

Please don't take your constituents for a bunch of fools. You have made yourselves as transparent as Casper, and we are seeing right through you.

Shark Infested Waters

Hopes, if not dashed, are seriously subdued. On June 2, with the stalwart environmentalists and concerned citizens sitting in attendance, the West Orange Township Council completed crafting an ordinance that would protect the town's trees. The ordinance was the result of nearly 11 months of collaboration, often frustrating and always challenging. The resulting ordinance was not perfect, but as stated previously, it was good enough. Even more than good enough given that for those 11 months West Orange had no protective ordinance at all.

We had hope as we left the Council chambers on the night of June 2 that the ordinance would be kept as is. We also had assurance from the Council members that the language unanimously accepted that night would be the language introduced for final reading.

Just 8 nights later, on June 10----the night of a religious holiday when many of the regulars could not be in attendance---- the council sliced and diced the ordinance, literally making it gutless in fending off development encroachment. Their definition of what a tree is in terms of size would leave a good number of trees throughout the township on the chopping block as they would be too small to be considered a tree. And almost every protective phrase still remaining from the ordinance passed on June 2 now has the caveat "to the greatest extent possible". This language leaves every thing open to interpretation. No tree stands a chance.

One powerful example of the folly of the new language suggested and adopted on the night of June 10 is the steep slope provision edit. The new language will now allow for trees to be removed on slopes FIVE TIMES steeper than the hill on Route 280.

Now any one who travels 280 with any regularity, and especially so when that hill is snow or ice covered, knows that the angle of that slope is formidable. Imagine then, if you will, a slope FIVE TIMES that angle now bereft of trees. Then imagine living down from the slope where all those trees have been removed. Visions of landslides no doubt spring to mind, and that is no dramatization. That no doubt will occur if this ordinance, now clearly a vehicle to invite and allow totally irresponsible development, comes to fruition.

And the ordinance will come to fruition unless there is full scale community turn out on June 24 for the 6:30 p.m discussion.

We need to be there en masse on June 24 to protest the edits that were made virtually behind the backs of those concerned with tree preservation and quality of life in West Orange.

We need to be there to protest the clearly evident bias on the part of town council members who are working on behalf of outside development corporations and not in accordance with their own constituencies. And most of all we need to be there to say we will no longer tolerate the duplicitous, deceptive, underhanded actions that have been taken with the turn-around language on this ordinance.

Are the council members a bunch of untrustworthy, opportunistic sharks looking for the moment to close in and make a kill that benefits them and puts every tree and every person in West Orange in peril?

I have seen no evidence that they are not, and if I have to swim in these waters as a town resident, you can bet I will arm myself. Words are my armament. I hope you will add your own on June 24 at 6:30 sharp.

Hope Springs Anew

On the night of June 2 after more than 6 hours of discussion and deliberation, and with some very animated input from Jerome Sharfman, the West Orange Township Council came to a unanimous agreement on a tree ordinance. Perhaps it is not a perfect ordinance, but it is a good ordinance, and good is good enough at this point.

The final step in making it come to fruition will take place on June 24 at the Council meeting when the Council members will hear from the community at large as to comments on the ordinance.

It is important that everyone in this town come to that meeting on June 24 and support the ordinance as it is written. With a good show of support, the ordinance should be accepted and adopted that night, ending the jeopardy entailed in there being no ordinance at all in place. We are hopeful that this 11 month struggle to get a protective tree ordinance in place will be over with a most positive outcome!

The Door to Opportunity

This blog has been a bit short on good news.

The circuitous and often frustrating road to success with the tree ordinance has been exhausting. The lack of action on the part of the township council has been hovering above our heads like a dark cloud.

And though we still do not know what the outcome of the council discussion will be in its June 2 tree ordinance meeting, there is some outstanding progress that has occurred on other fronts.

One major bump in the road for We Care has been a limitation on funding. This has necessitated that heretofore all advocacy and legal efforts were implemented by some dedicated volunteers, volunteers who understandably have other concerns in their own professional and personal lives.

The complexity of tasks to be addressed in this campaign to restrict development of the woods behind the West Essex Highlands has been burdensome, yet borne nobly by a half a dozen people.

But there is relief in immediate sight. Barbara Bailey, a concerned and very generous member of We Care, has made a significant contribution to help in the hire of an attorney. Other members have jumped in with contributions as well, and the advocacy group is on its way to having legal counsel that will pick up where the valiant volunteers have stopped to rest. The projection is that this funding will sustain legal representation for an extended period.

Though the volunteers will remain active and dedicated to this cause, having counsel to carry the most significant weight will be a ray of sunshine in this 9 year battle.

This gift from Barbara has opened the door to opportunity at a most critical time. We harbor hope that the donation will continue to inspire others to come forward with gifts.

There is now a good possibility that the residents of West Orange will eventually benefit from solid and forward thinking environmental policies to include tree stewardship and open space planning.

Biking in Place

The town council meeting last night was a heroic effort. Heroic on the part of the council who stayed there debating the language of the tree ordinance from 5:30 p.m. until 11:20 p.m. when the discussion finally ended. Heroic on the part of three extraordinary environmentalist volunteers, Jerome Sharfman, Joyce Rudin and Warren Manspeizer who sat up front and advocated for the strongest restrictions on protecting the trees. And, heroic on the part of several members of the audience such as Karen Feinblatt of We Care who sat the entire time listening to this 10 month conversation continue. Particularly heroic on the part of the environmentalists and Karen as the council broke for a pizza: not a luxury enjoyed by the remaining people in attendance.

And credit must be given where credit is due. Even with the pizza break, the township council did indeed do their best to assure that individual home owner's did not have their property rights abridged by restricting tree removal in the face of house expansions or pool installations.

Though there are concerns about where a home owner's rights end and public good begins, the rationale proffered for the great debate---- as it may be entitled in the future---could at least be understood and viewed as credible.

But it still leaves open the question of timing and process. Is it possible in this entire 10 month period of writing and re-writing the tree ordinance that these issues of home ownership rights could not be adequately addressed?

As it stands now, there is a special council meeting sheduled for June 2nd at 5:30 p.m. in the hopes, once again, of having a first reading of a completed ordinance.

Again, we must trust that this council will be able to come to grips with what is and what is not acceptable for individual owners, and still create stewardship for the forested areas of the township.

But this is continuing to feel like an endless cycle. We keep pedaling forward yet going nowhere. Until there is something concrete created with the best interest of the environment in mind, this is truly just biking in place. We have changed the scenery, but we have not yet made any movement.

The Dog Ate My Homework

Still on Sanibel and bemoaning a departure in just 3 days, I have loved the time ON the Island and AWAY from the daily grind. One of the many advantages to vacation time, even when mingled with many errands and tasks, is the clarity provided in seeing and reading things from a distance.

The rash of emails between the West Orange council members and We Care have been illuminating.

Work, illness in the family, a death in the family, discomfort with written communication, out of town visits: the council members are offering a variety of reasons why they have not gotten to and may not get to reading and remarking on the new tree ordinance scheduled for first reading on May 20, just 6 short days away.

While I totally understand that bad things happen to both good people and good ordinances, let's put this in perspective:

-The discussions have been on going for nearly 10 months.

-A broad field of volunteer environmental, land use, legal and community experts have hammered out several similar versions of a protective tree ordinance.

-The Council and City Administration have been shamefully negligent and/or obstructive in advocating for the environment. This has resulted in the paving over of acres of wooded areas in the township, and a huge obligation to build affordable housing.

And then there is the architect brought in by the city council to critique the new ordinance. Mind you, this is a structural architect, not a landscape architect. Don't architects depend on buildings, contractors and developers to keep their business thriving? Kind of like the fox guarding the hen house!

If this reading takes place on May 20, it will be nothing short of miraculous. The town council appear to continue to throw every obstacle in the path of progress.

And while there are reasons why things don't happen as they should, there are also excuses. Let's make sure we differentiate between the two.

A bird of a different feather

Writing from our vacation rental home on Sanibel Island, Toucan House, I am happily and whimsically surrounded by Toucan

"memorabilia" ..... paintings, some photos, various trinkets. Some might say it is over-Toucanized, but we love it. Just as we value Sanibel for its unique environment in Florida, and in the country overall.

Looking at all these Toucans with their enormous beaks, I am struck by how deceptive the size of the beak is. One would think that the poor Toucan would not be able to keep its balance given the ratio of beak size to bird size. But the trick of Toucan balance is that the beak is essentially a fine and light honey comb within a fairly delicate shell. The weight and shape of the bill enables the Toucan to sit in branches that support it, while reaching out for berries on much smaller branches.

Balance, for the Toucan, is a natural occurence. Balance in legislating must be constructed.

The note to Paul Tractenberg from West Orange Councilman Reynard Barnes is more than reasonable when the councilman expresses appreciation for all the effort put forth to craft an acceptable tree ordinance that will offer balance. With seeming understanding and sensitivity to the frustration caused by the long deferred ordinance, Councilman Barnes states that any ordinance adopted by the township must take into account the individual home owner: "Despite our desire to save as many trees as we can, we must still balance this interest against a person'a (sic) property interests, a fundamental interest that must still be afforded protections. "

Councilman Barnes has been assured by Professor Tractenberg that the tree ordinance as created and revised " eases the burdens on individual property owners, but still makes protecting trees and regulating their removal the ordinance's primary thrust".

On Sanibel Island where restrictions to protect the environment are the consistent thread in Island management, there is understanding and agreement among elected officals and residents on such issues as conservation. Were real Toucans to live here, none of us would want any Toucans falling out of trees. More importantly, we would want to make sure that they, indeed, have the trees from which not to fall out of. I would like to think that the deliberate judgement of this little island in the Gulf of Mexico has some application to the town of West Orange.

The Jury Is Still Out

In an amazing display of either nonchalance or arrogance---or both---- at least one township council member has declared that because of other duties, he may not have a chance to preview the once again revised tree ordinance.


Ever pressing forward the pressing need to adopt a tree ordinance, Paul Tractenberg, the attorney who leads the advocacy group We Care, wrote a memo to the West Orange Township Council on May 1 reminding them of their commitment to provide a first reading on May 20 for the new ordinance.


The ordinance, crafted by Professor Tractenberg and other environmental volunteers, is tailored to West Orange and was modelled off successful ordinances in other municipalities. As a key point of his memo, Professor Tractenberg offered to address the revision once again and make it available to council members seven days in advance of the May 20 council meeting.


Keeping in mind that this ordinance has been "filibustered" by the council for nine months, the response to the memo by councilman John Skarbnik is nothing short of stunning. In his response to Tractenberg, Skarbnik writes:


" On a different note, as you can appreciate, this is the end of the semester and I have exams to write, and grade, in addition to a number of work related demands. My last Exam is be given on May 15th. So I do not know whether I will have adequate time before then to review the revised draft and provide my comments."


So nine months is not sufficient time to craft a viable ordinance?

And seven days is not sufficient time to review an ordinance already presented several times with little variation?

Is it any wonder that apathy exists among voters disgusted with the legislative process?

Let us hope good reason and duty to protecting the township prevails in these next 14 days. Until then, the jury is out as to who this council is and what their real agenda may be.

The Role of Media in Public Advocacy

Reporters are probably among the most beleaguered of professionals. There are so many elements in getting a good story---- and doing it often on tight deadline---- that errors in fact do occur. And, of course, there are always errors in omission. The press must deal with an angry public when the story is not factual or complete, as well as with an irate editor who is always expecting better.

Accustomed to not always being content with the article presented on any news item of interest to me, I was surprised and pleased at the front page news coverage in the local paper, The West Orange Chronicle. The article, complete with color photograph, was entitled "Township's Trees Remain Unprotected". From headline to last line, the article written by Diane Lilli, hit the mark perfectly.

Essentially she covered the issue of the languishing tree ordinance and the ordinance status at the West Orange Town Council Meeting. Her piece is threaded with meaningful and well placed quotes from both the council members and Paul Tractenberg, the chief advocate for the revised ordinance. I don't think any one could accuse Ms. Lilli of being inaccurate, incomplete or biased in the architecture of the article.

But she did more than cover the story, she raised the essential questions. Why is this taking so long to accomplish? Why has the council discussion been post-poned until after the council elections?

Of course, the responses are as one would anticipate. That the council does not want to act precipitously. But again this reporter drums at the issue of the time line and brings out how deliberation could and should have preceded the meeting on April 29.

The highest purpose for news media should not just be the telling of a story, but in raising the questions that put the story into the most understandable and illustrative context.

This, Ms. Lilli did admirably.

Will the last tree standing please put out the lights?

The West Orange Town Council meeting last night had some high points and some low ones as well.

It certainly was uplifting to have residents in attendance who are doing great things in inspiring and mentoring the youth of our community. I am sure the town council members---as well as those of us in the audience--- were happy to hear of good works and good results. This was a divergence from the usual council meetings where community concerns and issues more often deal with what is lacking, rather than what is available.

It was equally encouraging to hear a wonderfully written essay composed by a young man in the West Orange school system. The focus of his essay was the meaning of America and being an American, and the words were well crafted.

In fact, the conclusion of the essay talked about being an American as standing up for what you believe in.

And those of us there took some courage from these words.

We needed it, as the most disappointing of the council activities came when it was made clear the council was not ready to discuss the new tree ordinance, so laboriously created over these past few weeks. The township is now more than 9 months without a tree ordinance, and the hope that last night would see some progress was dashed immediately following the opening of the meeting.

The Council promised that it would deliberate over this new ordinance and put it out for public discussion on May 20, their next meeting, as also disappointingly, their meeting for May 6 has been cancelled. If met with no objections, it is possible that the ordinance may pass on June 10. Possible.

Meanwhile, after 9 months of edits and go-rounds, the trees are still left with no guardian ordinance. It would be possible under these conditions for hundreds, if not thousands, of trees in this town to be removed before an ordinance is accepted and adopted. Possible.

There are red ribbons tied around dozens of the trees in the tract of land proposed for development behind the West Essex Highlands. Will those be the first to fall? That, too, is possible.

Passing the Baton

Last night: A breath of fresh air swept into the room, a harbinger of Spring and of hope.

A few of us had gathered to talk about the new structure for We Care, the advocacy group fighting for minimalized and responsible development of the woods behind the West Essex Highlands.

Leadership for We Care was the primary topic of conversation as We Care's President will be stepping down from office in early July, still remaining active in the organization.

There is always the possibility when segueing from one management model to another that there will be gaps and misses.

And we might have spent more time on acknowledging the many good works and earnest efforts made to date that have enabled opposition to this development project to endure for 9 years. Certainly, there were path blazers and meeting warriors whose contributions have been instrumental in keeping the cause not only alive, but well. Some of these have been public demonstrations of commitment, but just as many have been conversations behind closed doors.

It is never easy to be an advocate, even in the best of times and circumstances, and we can only imagine the communications that most likely took place.

But the momentum to go forward was so strong we did not take the time to glance back.

Driving that momentum was the dedication of those who have stepped up to become a collective of leaders with both institutional memory and the skills to address the tasks before us.

So as the rain poured down and the spring time chorus of birds outside the windows serenaded us with their evening lullabies, we proceeded. But we also inadvertently disregarded a fundamental of passing the baton. Looking behind is often as critical as looking ahead.

When Push Comes to Shove

Living in the West Essex Highlands, and in general in this corner of West Orange, is about as good as it gets in residential Essex County. The area is convenient to all manner of road and highway, convenient to all the necessities and amenities of Essex County, and quite lovely to look at. The forested areas and golf courses as well as home landscapes all provide a green, pretty and natural buffer to noise and pollution.

There is a common ground for having chosen this location for those who made this choice. And it would make sense that all the area residents, within the Highlands and in the surrounding neighborhood would be in agreement that we have something special and something worth fighting for. There should be uniform support for curtailing land development and natural resource encroachment. There should be.

But as human ear and human mind acquire information, any number of interpretations may result. Most of us living in the Highlands would like to see no development at all of the adjoining woods. Some of us would allow a reasonable amount to happen. And there are a few who have no opinion. The discordance in view does at times lead to conflict, even among the most responsible of people. We all have our own interpretations of words. Words such as reasonable. Words such as opinion. Words such as responsible.

As things stand, the disagreement is kept to civil proportions with a few verbal encounters here and there, and maybe a gentle push where appropriate and necessary.

But when the passionate meet the obstinate, there is no telling what the next step will be, or when push will come to shove. I am hopeful we will never cross that line.

Of Unsung Heroes

I have long heard the phrase "unsung hero", but until now, I was not really sure what it meant. My profession is marketing, concentrating on health care, and though I have worked for some great causes and good people, my job was to sing their praises. So they were sung about plenty.

In other arenas---- politics, business, academia---- the heroes were always outed, often by some one like me. Though I have certainly encountered many heroes who were equally effective at singing their own praises.

I had come to believe that the unsung hero was a little like Santa Claus, a nice concept with no true life application.

We Care, an advocacy group from the West Essex Highlands, has been dedicated to halting the development of woods and wet lands behind the complex. Now, I talk about the group as if it had a life of its own. And certainly like any organization, there is a body of membership that helps to move things along.

But the President of We Care, the attorney, environmentalist and truly unsung hero for the woods---- as well as the organization----has been serving in a multiplicity of complex roles for these past nine years. And serving is the appropriate word here. Paul Tractenberg has been the all encompassing resource center for We Care, all members depending on him to research, write and speak on our behalf on all the important issues. He has done so consistently, tirelessly and brilliantly. Paul has had no songs written for him, nor has he had time or interest to use his own voice to sing self-praises.

So this blog is for you, Paul, and like another Paul who was also once affiliated with Rutgers you have created a legacy with your commitment, vision and voice. "We are each other's harvest. We are each other's business. We are each other's magnitude and bond."

A Poem as Lovely as a Tree?

I know I am dating myself.

But back in the good old days
we began our studies at Ridge Street
grammar school
in Newark with
"auditorium".


Each auditorium ended with our singing the song version of Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" poem. I can still remember the first line:


I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree


And of course, the last line:


Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree


The middle is a little hazy but the poem/song was an ode to nature and a clear statement that Kilmer believed what men build/write can not compare to what God has created.


With that poem having ensconced itself in my 5 year old consciousness, one of the few memories I have carried forward from my childhood, I find it incredulous that the town of West Orange has been without a tree ordinance for eight months.


This is an issue that has broader implications than just the development project behind the West Essex Highlands as the absence could negatively impact on any area of the municipality.


But, there may be a guardian for West Orange trees in the making of a new resolution. The City Council members working with an envrionmental advocate/attorney who resides in the Highlands now have the first draft of a tree ordinance in hand.


Revisions to the first draft are being put into effect at this moment, and the new edition (there apparently have been several) is projected to be ready for first reading at the City Council's next meeting scheduled for April 29.


You don't have to be a "tree hugger" to have concern that this ordinance be adopted and asap. Come to the Council meeting and let your attendance count visably as your interest in this extremely important aspect to quality of life in West Orange."

Take A Walk On the Wild Side

Although I realize that not every one loves animals, or for that matter, nature, I wonder how close most people allow themselves to venture out these days? Not out to the mall or out to work or out to anyplace with walls. But out, out where the space is not parametered by man made structure.

With deer hunts, deer ticks and developers lurking in the woods, one is certainly incurring a risk by stepping foot in the forest.

But 2 winters ago, one of our cats, Merengue, headed for the woods after a clever escape from our town house (and what a long "tail" hangs on that story!). Trying to track her down, I spent 33 days during her AWOL traversing wetlands and slopes in these near 200 acres behind the West Essex Highlands.

In those 33 days over the hill and over the dale, several of them through a blizzard, I did not encounter even one gingerbread wife. But I did see, and with little effort, dozens of deer, many wild turkeys, bunnies, birds and even one fox. It was a revelation in how such a relatively small parcel of land can sustain and house so many beautiful creatures.

Were it not for our Merengue missing, I would not have been back there calling her name at all hours of the day and night and most likely inviting my neighbors to speculate on "just what in the world" that woman is doing out in the woods all the time. But despite the anguish of having our cat lost in this foreign world, I found myself delighted each day by these explorations and the sightings so copious and satisfying.

The journeys stopped when our neighbors did, indeed, help us to track Merengue down to a hiding place---not in the woods---but under someone's deck. Our joy in reuniting with our little black cat could not be measured. But there was a loss as well. Looking at nature is not the same as being in nature. I love the view of the woods from within our home. But walking on the wild side is not just seeing, it is smelling and hearing. Perhaps everyone should try it before putting a monetary value on property.

Serious Challenge to Nature and Quality of Life

Hi. My first blog, and it took a real threat to move me to do this. If you don't yet know it, the township of West Orange, New Jersey is weakening a tree ordinance that will allow the removal of 27,000 trees to make way for a housing development of 129 single family homes. The trees sit in the wetlands and streamed area behind the West Essex Highlands (off Eagle Rock Avenue) and adjacent to the towns of Essex Fells and Verona.



There are other issues inherent in this project to be considered such as water run off, likelihood of increased taxes, pollution and traffic all of which pose a threat and/or inconvenience to the people living not only near the proposed project, but any where in town.



But do we have to look further than the trees to see the forest? I don't think so. Trees, nature, wildlife often define a town, making it appealing, livable, desirable, even healthy. Imagine New York City without Central Park and you get the idea. (and the trees currently proposed for destruction are 1,000 more than in the entirety of Central Park!)



The developer for this project has proposed several approaches to building of varying size and scope over the last several years, and up till now has been held at bay because of the concerns about traffic and safety issues.


The movement to stop this project definitely needs to expand beyond the We Care committee, the Sierra Club and the people living in the West Essex Highlands and adjacent towns. The effects of weak environmental ordinances and over-development are far reaching.


There's a planning board meeting on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30 where some of these issues will be addressed.