Trees

The space shuttle Endeavour wasn't the only massive object traversing Southland streets this weekend. South Coast Plaza's 96-foot Christmas tree finished its own arduous trek Monday morning, about 650 miles from near Mt. Shasta in Northern California to arrive at Town Center Park, across the street from the mall. The white fir - which rolled into town on the largest trailer allowed on the road - will be prepped in the coming weeks with about 20,000 multicolored lights for the Plaza's 31st annual tree-lighting ceremony Nov. 15. The ceremony always falls on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, which this year required such an early installation date, South Coast Plaza publicist Lee Healy said.

Crews have begun planting African tulip and date palm trees on a stretch of Irvine Avenue in Newport Beach near where a woman was killed a year ago when a eucalyptus toppled onto her car. "The African tulips have already been planted and [project manager Iris Lee] expects the date palms to be planted later this week," said Newport Beach city spokeswoman Tara Finnigan. Work on the $308,075 replanting project started on July 30 and is expected to be completed in early November, Finnigan said.

The parents of a motorist killed after a tree fell on her car have sued the cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, and the tree maintenance contractor. Haeyoon Miller's mother and father filed separate lawsuits within the past week alleging that the two cities and West Coast Arborists were at fault regarding the Irvine Avenue median and its trees. Aside from medical and burial expenses, they are suing for unspecified damages. Miller, a 29-year-old Tustin resident, was waiting for a red light on Irvine Avenue at 17th Street, near the Newport-Costa Mesa border, in September when a blue gum eucalyptus fell and crushed her small sedan.

A group of students set out to understand the deep-rooted tension between Armenians and Turks in the wake of the continuing disputes over the 1915 Armenian genocide. After spending 10 days traveling around the two countries, talking to politicians, journalists, academics and nongovernmental agencies, UC Irvine senior Yolanda Espiritu saw just how many roadblocks the two countries face at the state level. But she also saw cooperation at the community level. "It's just a positive example that Turks and Armenians can live together and work together," Espiritu said.

A pack of three adult pit bulls bit a mother and son early Friday south of Corona del Mar before being euthanized by authorities. The attack near Newport Coast Drive and East Coast Highway occurred at 5:36 a.m. The victims were guests at Marriott's Newport Coast Villas, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Todd Hughes. They were taken to Hoag Hospital with minor injuries, said Jennifer Schulz, a Fire Department spokeswoman. It was unclear if all three dogs bit the mother and son, or how many bites they had. Eventually, the pit bulls were located, but when one officer got out of his car, the dogs advanced as if to attack.

The Webelos Scouts of Costa Mesa Cub Scout Pack 108 on Wednesday gave a special gift to Willard T. Jordan Park, where they meet three times a month. With the help of city staff, they planted a tree as the final requirement to earn their World Conservation Award. It's clear the environment is important to the group of eight Webelos, the highest rank in Cub Scouts. They'll all bridge to Boy Scouts in 2013. "To be good to the Earth, make sure your cup doesn't fall on the ground," Hunter Kennemer, 10, told his fellow scouts after their snack.

The legendary Dr. Seuss was ahead of his time in so many ways. In 1971, he created "The Lorax," one of the first eco-friendly children's books ever written. In simple language, the story teaches the need to respect and care for the natural beauty of the earth, especially the trees. The new movie version is made by the crew that produced the popular animated hit "Despicable Me. " So it's full of wild colors and lively action, but short on the subtle points of the subject. Danny DeVito voices the fuzzy orange Lorax at the center of the story with comic vigor.

UC Irvine's Anteaters are about to start chowing down on a lot more oranges. Anteater athletes planted a grove of the citrus-bearing trees Wednesday afternoon near the Crawford Athletics Complex along West Peltason Drive. "They will grow there for years and years," said women's tennis team member Stephanie Hammel of the trees. "The fruit will give members of the community or athletes the opportunity to come here, pick the fruit and enjoy it. " The 24 trees were donated by the Orange County Great Park and are part of a project to upgrade the pool score board and beautify the surrounding area, said Cathy Lawhon, university director of media relations and community outreach.

Jason Maloney's art is no stranger to the city of Costa Mesa. His artwork, which he calls "Tim Burton meetsDr. Seuss," greets patrons at Wahoo's Fish Taco on Bristol Street in the form of a mural encompassing an entire facade. Now his hand will be seen in a reinvigorated piece integral to the city: its seal. Costa Mesa approached Maloney, Hurley's art director, about a charity project that features a reinterpretation of the visual representation for the "City of the Arts" on a T-shirt.