There's rude, and then there's Ole-rude

[DBP]

Personally, I don’t care whether it was John Olerud or Mother Teresa doing this. I’d still be lambasting them.

I wish that I was just picking on this Olerud guy. I really do. I wish that Olerud was just some kind of oddball eccentric and that me and the whole town of Clyde Hill were snickering at him behind his back.

But apparently he’s not an oddball. Not in Clyde Hill anyway. In fact there seems to be a whole village of people just like him over there, and they’ve enshrined their folly in an ordinance that says you can build a mansion and then make your neighbor cut down his old trees so you can have a better view. As icing on this cuckoo-cake, they’ve even scrounged up some justification for it in the Bible. Something about “being a good neighbor.” AS IF!!

OK, my language is offensive sometimes. Sorry. I’ll try to do better. But honestly, I Wonder . . . if you find my language MORE offensive than the idea that someone could force a neighbor to kill two lovely old trees, I’d have to question your priorities.

The two offenses are not equivalent. Not by a longshot.

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[B-squared]

got a point, DBP. Better solution it move the Oleruds.

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[JayDee]

What gets me is that the tree magnificent as it may be only lowered the Oleruds valuation by $300,000. Which sounds big until you see the Oleruds valuation would be $4.05 million with the tree up. Vs. $4.3 million with out it. For shame John O.

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[Talaki34]

Elevate the neighbor’s house to equal the height of the tree.

Commission an artist to do a full-scale interpretation of the tree. After all, who doesn’t like art? :)

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[miws]

Talaki34, FTW!

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[hooper1961]

the City Council presumed passage of 502 and took a jump start on smoking a joint.

the tree existed first; thus how stupid was the decision?

but then again I have seen cases where people buy a house by an airport and then complain about airplane noises or buy a home near an active farm and then complain about the smell.

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[Talaki34]

Since it does not appear that the trees can be saved at their current location and the suggestion for it to be moved has been raised by B-squared…What about relocating the Chinese pine and hopefully the Spruce to the Chinese Garden here in West Seattle?

http://www.seattlechinesegarden.org/index.php?p=Visit&s=27

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[DBP]

Pretty hard to relocate a 60-foot tree, but it’s a nice thought.

 

 

 

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[Talaki34]

Maybe not…

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=133789

http://www.davey.com/business/large-tree-moving.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFTj0hM3DHM

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[Homer]

Hey, does anyone have email addresses for these bafoons? The Times’ story didn’t break out who voted yay or nay but you can deduce Mrs. McLamb voted against Olerud and Mr. Bookey FOR Olerud.

How can we start flooding their inbox’s with our feelings about how they got swept up with a “celebrity” there that doesn’t care about anyone else but themselves?

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[Homer]

Wow, so the whole beauty of snyde Hill can be chopped down to allow a few select homeowners to have a better view. Real forward thinking Mr. Bookey and company, I have a feeling you know nothing about plants/trees and have nothing better to do than nitpick….maybe try a Florida retirement home instead and leave us some natural beauty we all can enjoy!

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[anonyme]

Sorry to be so late to this discussion. Didn’t realize it was addressed to me, and having no interest in Mr. Olerud hadn’t clicked on it before.

I’m with Mr. P (DBP, that is)and K-Bear: a tree IS a view. What is this fascination with water, anyway? If you want to look at the damn water, it’s not that far away, is it? Does it have to be visible 24/7? Doesn’t Mr. Olerud already have a great view of the water from his friggin’ YACHT?

It’s also interesting that we seem to have two City ordinances in conflict with one another. It’s no longer legal to cut more than 3 trees per year per property over a certain caliper, which is a pretty lax regulation, but one put in place due to the enormous loss of urban forest (70%) over the last 20 years. Then we have another ordinance that allows the massacre of huge trees to promote views? Bit of a conflict, I’d say.

It’s possible that the Chinese fir could be considered a tree of “importance” or a heritage tree. Wonder if anyone has looked into that? Does Cass Turnbull know about this idiocy?

As for Jesus (or his daddy) condoning the cutting of the tree – isn’t He supposed to have created the damn thing to begin with? Why would God want the tree cut down after going to the trouble of designing and installing it in the first place? Apparently Mr. Olerud thinks he needs a better view than God. Is that wise?

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[Ken]

Jesus did not like some trees.

http://godhatesfigs.info/

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[Genesee Hill]

A friend of mine ran into John at Walmart. John said he doesn’t give a rip what we think. Imagine that.

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[DBP]

What? The Most Christian Mr. Olerud doesn’t give a rip about how other people feel? Yeah, I’m sure that’s in the Bible somewhere, too.

 

        Do unto others . . . period.

          Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!

****************************

Lest we think that Clyde Hill is unique in its disdain for natural beauty, just look what this other little burb hath wrought . . .

A three-year battle over a tall tree ended Monday, as Art and Susan Wright’s massive red cedar was being trimmed to roof height in the gray and drizzly morning.

A neighbor in the Innis Arden community in Shoreline had complained that the almost four-story tree was blocking her view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The neighborhood association agreed, deciding the tree’s height violated bylaws stating that nothing should obstruct any resident’s view of the surrounding area.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/01/view-blocking-tree-in-innis-arden-being-cut-to-a-third-its-size/

 

I’m sure the Good Folk of Innis Arden don’t give a rip what the rest of the world thinks of them either. But I’m betting they’ll change their tune one day . . . when their little bubble runs out of air . . .

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[HMC Rich]

All I know is … don’t piss off the Maples. The Trees, Album – Hemispheres, Band – Rush.

He probably brought about the demise of many a white ash tree. Lately baseball players have been switching to Maple. Watch out Mariners, be nice to Maples or they will get you.

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[miws]

The 1% gets all bent out of shape over view blocking trees in their neighbor’s yards.

The 99% gets all bent out of shape over putting dog poop in their neighbor’s garbage cans…. ;-)

Mike

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[wakeflood]

Corollary: The 1% have covenants that allow them to force neighbors to cut down trees in broad daylight, the 99% poison the tree in the middle of the night. ;-)

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[JoB]

i am grateful i don’t live on Clyde Hill

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[wakeflood]

If you ask me, and you didn’t, it’s pretty obvious to outsiders who look at it, the “prosperity theology” that took over Christianity starting in the 80’s is fully manifested as a cult of greed and self-righteousness.

I have friends who have left their churches because of this. Their fellow congregants were more interested in keeping up with the Jones’ and putting pious faces on their unacceptance of others than being truly good people.

I especially don’t enjoy the “Members only” pricing of goods and services and gouging of the “unwashed” by these Christian business owners. It’s NOT anecdotal, it’s common. And it reinforces a societal cancer of selfishness and discrimination against our neighbors. (Ahem, Mr. Olerud…)

Having said that, I’m still hoping to find out definitively what Rolex Would Jesus Wear??

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[odroku]

Stopped reading at “retarded.”

Grow up.

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[wakeflood]

BTW – I think Matthew, Ch. 6 v. 13 gives us a strong hint that it’s the Oyster Perpetual. Sweet!!!

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[DBP]

Grow up?

Ha! I would . . . but then some fat cat would probably just come and cut me down.

And charge me for it to boot.

   

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[wakeflood]

Although Paul’s letter to the Ephesians has some convinced it’s the Submariner Date-adjust…

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[DBP]

Innis Arden, Washington:

Swimmin’ pools, movie stars . . .

http://tinyurl.com/the-innis-arden-hillbillies

http://tinyurl.com/bbl6hzn

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