Apparently -- breathe a sigh of relief -- the ficus fracas is
over.
Newport Beach and members of the Balboa Arbor Society came to an
agreement last week that will save one of the remaining Peninsula
ficus trees. City leaders also promised to review the city's tree
policy and consider drafting a tree ordinance. That could mean more
protection for the city's oldest trees in the future.
But perhaps even more importantly for most, the agreement should
quell the screaming, letter-writing and hand-wringing that the whole
episode unleashed. Not that the saving of the trees is unimportant.
It was just, well, at certain point the story spiraled so out of
control that the ficus trees faded into the background.
Wait, no, they got cut down. That's right.
Nevertheless, it is heartening to see agreement come from such
noisy discord. And just in the time for the holidays.
