Trees are sacred.

Herodotus reports that the oak grove at Dodona was a font of prophesy and omens. Zeus was worshiped there. Decipher the coo of black doves, the rustle of the leaves, or the banging of clanging pots and pans, hung there to simulate the actual voice of Zeus, and oracular visions could be yours for the asking.

Oak trees were the first and most sacred of all trees. In his seminal work, The Golden Bough, Sir James Harvey theorized that the Golden Bough, which Aeneas took with him to bribe Charon into ferrying him across the Stygian lake granting him access to the underworld, was mistletoe—sacred to the ancients as it may have been man’s first source of fire.

If you think ancients thought the Oak sacred you should have been here a few years back when the Episcopal Church wanted to cut down one, single oak tree. The oak was not only disrupting their expansion, but it had recently dropped a huge branch, so was probably dangerous as well.

The fight to save that oak divided a church, and disrupted the town. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent along with hundreds of man hours wasted as the City stubbornly defended that one tree’s right to exist. The City prevailed. Zeus was placated and the expansion altered (at great expense) to preserve that oak.

In Meily Park playing fields for children were sacrificed by the city that some scrub oaks could be saved.
Recently, St. Helena’s ubiquitous Tree Committee almost derailed a skateboard park over the issue of a few random trees of little significance.

Would (no pun intended) trees could last forever. Personally, I wish none were ever cut. However, they are also fungible. Cut one down and another grows in its place. Most of the natural redwoods (the ones on the schools were planted in the early 40’s) in the Valley today are 2nd or 3rd growth “suckers” from Redwoods cut in the 19th century. Hey, San Francisco was bustling and bustlers needed homes to live in.

It’s a little understood fact that there are thousands (maybe millions) more trees in the hills today than there were in Napa County in 1900.

Anyway, it was clear to all of us that the city would go to almost any lengths to save just one solitary tree.

Not so fast Kowalski.

Have you driven past the Carnegie building lately? Where liquid ambers gently shaded pedestrians in front of the (once) library-City Council Chambers-Rec Department—whatever—fresh cut flowers now mark the “graves” of 10 trees which are no more.

Almost a dozen trees were whacked down by the city just for sport. Ok. I lied. It was for “safety.” Apparently, they were buckling the sidewalk. (Lucky no city officials have ever visited a hill town in Italy—talk about sidewalks!).

I don’t pretend to know the story behind this latest tree massacre. (Lest you mis-understand, Had they asked, I would have chain sawed them for free--just for the firewood). It's that the rules which the City imposes on the rest of us, apparently don't apply to City owned land.

I’m being facetious when I use the word “massacre.” Though, like you, I wish we would never cut a single tree, we all remember the 300 year old Oaks over on the old Keller/ Jaeger property (kitty corner from the RLS) which dropped branches like Madonna dropping boyfriends, almost killing the children sleeping inside.

Like beautiful women, trees are inherently dangerous. Pay attention to them. Treat them right. Never turn your back on them or take them for granted or you’re likely to get crushed under the weight of a vengeful falling branch.

It’s not the loss of the trees that frustrates. It’s the loss of confidence in our government. Where’s the transparency? Where is the moral imperative? Why was one oak a cause célèbre, and ten liquid ambers chopped liver? Why is there one set of rules for “we the people” and another for the city—just because they own the property ? Couldn’t we have been told the truth—ahead of time?

We see separate rules (from both parties) on the National scene as well. A.I.G. uses tax payer money to pay “retention bonuses.” Speaker Pelosi drunk on the elixir of private air travel. A Treasuy Secretary who kited his taxes. Out of nowhere Pork becomes “ Stimulus. “ A President promising no more earmarks—then signing into law 8,500 of them—put there by hypocrites of both parties.

Cut trees can be replaced. Once eroded, confidence in government takes a long time to restore.