‘Uprooting’ of Tradition and Tribute Decried

Lorraine Larsen never worried that the oak tree Thousand Oaks dedicated in 1973 to honor her brother--missing in action in the Vietnam War--would someday be in jeopardy. After all, this is Thousand Oaks, she reasoned.

Although Air Force Capt. Eric Huberth has yet to come home, the Freedom Tree that city officials designated in honor of him and other MIAs, as well as three other trees dedicated to honor important citizens, could soon end up on the woodpile.

Because their current location--the former City Hall property on Hillcrest Drive--is up for sale, the future of the oak trees is uncertain.

“I was real surprised about this,” Larsen said Monday, flanked by her two sisters. “The city didn’t even tell my mom about this. We read about it in the newspaper.”

Portraying himself as the protector of all the city’s oak trees, City Council candidate Dan Del Campo organized a news conference at the old City Hall Monday to rail against what he called the city’s disregard for the leafy landmarks.

Wearing an oversize “Not for Sale” pin on his lapel, Del Campo slammed Thousand Oaks for sacrificing oak trees in an effort to appease the building industry. He vowed not to accept campaign contributions from developers.

Del Campo said the potential slaughter of oaks at the former City Hall was only the latest example of the city allowing its past to be bulldozed in exchange for a few bucks. If it were up to the current City Council majority of Mayor Andy Fox and council members Judy Lazar and Mike Markey, “every oak in town” would be yanked in favor of a video store or coffee shop, he charged.

“We need a new majority on the City Council,” he said, promoting himself and Planning Commissioner Linda Parks for the two council seats up for grabs this fall. “Otherwise, all of our roots are going to be uprooted.”

Markey, who faces reelection in November, said Del Campo doesn’t have his facts straight.

“It sounds like he’s trying to clamp onto an issue where there isn’t one,” Markey said. “We all support oak trees, and our record shows it. We recently turned down a project in Newbury Park [expansion of Newbury Plaza] because it would have hurt oak trees.”

The other three oaks at the Hillcrest site are dedicated to Air Force Lt. Gregg O. Hanson, a returned prisoner of war in Vietnam; Bruce E. Cameron, a former planning commissioner; and former activist Irene Bahn, who was “instrumental in the movement to name the city,” according to her plaque.

“We’re talking about one of the people who fought to have this city named Thousand Oaks!” said community activist William Maple.

Larsen and her sisters, who are usually not active in city politics, said they were not asked to make an appearance.

“We just hope the city does something to save the trees, at least relocating them as a last resort,” said Suzanne Huberth. “That’s the least they can do, in our opinion.”