| Author | Message | ||
     Washashore Citizen Username: Washashore Post Number: 83 Registered: 4-2003 |
Given that decisions made by our wise BOT have resulted in the decimation of many many living things (trees, animals, birds, wetlands) that used to call SOuth Orange and the Quarry home, I thought it would be appropriate to start a new thread to pay our respects to our fallen beings. As Joyce Kilmer so eloquently said: "I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day And lifts her leafy arm to pray. A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me But only God can make a tree." In keeping with this poetic flow of expression, I offer the following: Conceived and born and given to me Like a mother's babe, or leaf to a tree. I was its master, its keeper, and feeder, And not once did I think to leave her. Through summer and spring it grew quite tall, And this reward was the best of all. Being part of a miracle to me is not new And this experience you could know too. First, find a seed with which to sow, And the miracle I speak of, you soon will know. Unless you plant in South Orange town, On which trees and such the BOT does frown. But dreams live on as life does too, The next BOT election results are up to you. Let's keep this Memorial to our fallen living things going. Add your thoughts to this thread. | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 434 Registered: 5-2001 |
There was quite a discussion last night on the latest casualty - the trees by the recycling center. I took some pictures this morning of that site & the "moonscape" that was the quarry and I will try to post them for all to see. Words of warning to people living near Orange Lawn Tennis Club - you better get ready NOW. That property is also zoned residential & WILL eventually be the next casualty. | ||
| peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 289 Registered: 8-2002 |
..this is never that easy. I am always sickened by the cutting down of trees and bulldozers coming in when development happens. ...but I am also one of those people who have twice (prior to SO) bought a new home in a new development. My folks live in another town on a 3/4 acre lot. They LOVE trees, woods, naturalized areas, etc. Imagine their dismay when their new neighbor cut down most of his old oaks to put in a golf driving area. Alas, no shade tree or other regulations in place to stop it. Its very unfortunate -- but until there is a corresponding fund of $$$ to buy land for conservation vs the developers -- what is the answer? Why were trees cut down by the recycling area -- because of the animal shelter? Pete | ||
| algebra2 Citizen Username: Algebra2 Post Number: 1308 Registered: 5-2001  |
Why were the trees cut down at the recycling center? | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 435 Registered: 5-2001 |
Yes...to build the animal shelter. Based on the meeting last night, nobody seemed to remember there be being NO buffer between the shelter and the park that is there. When I drove by this morning, the trees were gone right up to to the fence. | ||
| CageyD Citizen Username: Cageyd Post Number: 18 Registered: 6-2003 |
Should we also lament the departure of the abandoned vehicles, and other rusted garbage at the quarry? | ||
| Eric DeVaris Citizen Username: Eric_devaris Post Number: 37 Registered: 2-2003 |
CageyD, No, we should not lament the departure of the rusted garbage in the Quarry; to the contrary we should celebrate that something which should have been done long ago is finally done. But we should lament the means by which this was done. I hope you do not insinuate that the only way we could find to get rid of the abandoned rusted vehicles was to ravage acres of pristine forest with 200-year old trees, to displace wildlife, to sell out the only open space in our boundaries, and to afflict a serious burden to the town’s infrastructure. I do hope that you are not happy that the devastation that we inflicted in the quarry is justified by the fact that we finally got rid of the garbage. I do hope you are not as naïve as that. Eric | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 436 Registered: 5-2001 |
Gee, Cagey...that's brilliant logic. Cutting down over 400 one-hundred year-old trees, so we can all have a better view of rusted construction equipment & Calabrese's house is an improvement - you are just so right. Speaking of which, why is there no fence around this construction site? Certainly it is an eyesore, but even more important, the 30 foot drop that now exists from the Tillou Rd extension is a safety hazard. Perhaps they can borrow the fence from Beifus & SOPAC since those sites don't need it until at least the Spring.  | ||
| CageyD Citizen Username: Cageyd Post Number: 20 Registered: 6-2003 |
I'm surprised that there were so many 100 year old trees considering this was an active quarry within the last 100 years. The quarry issue seems to break down very much along town boundry lines - namely how close to Newstead/the quarry you live. As someone who doesn't live near the quarry I found it frustrating that if I as a South ORange resident, wanted to benefit from this natural open space (an overgrown pit really) there was no parking or other facilities that would have allowed me to use it. It was hard to view this as anything other than NIMBY on the part of the Newstead crowd. Regarding open space, there is a 4000 acre reservation that abuts South Orange that we can all use and benefit from. | ||
| peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 290 Registered: 8-2002 |
MHD -- Are your pictures digital? And have you taken some of the quarry as well? My Dad has been visiting -- and said he was shocked how the quarry looked (looking down fron the Annex). Before and after or even just after photos can say a lot. If you ahve them -- they could be posted to an online album (webshots or similar)thx -- Pete | ||
| Washashore Citizen Username: Washashore Post Number: 85 Registered: 4-2003 |
CageyD: I do not live in Newstead. Neither do my neighbors, many of whom were as outraged and concerned about the Quarry as were those who live next to it. | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 437 Registered: 5-2001 |
Cagey - certainly my "passion" started because of my proximity to the property, but as I learned more about the issue, it became more than just a "NIMBY" issue. For example: * the fact that the VILLAGE spent $1.2 million to allow this development to happen (to pay for the COAH obligation and upgrades to the water system) * the fact this property is already currently part of a stormwater water management system for Newstead. Paving the property will ultimately cause flooding problems for the whole village * the fact that South Orange already has a severe lack of "open space" based on our population, as specified in a report earlier this year. * the fact that ultimately, 69 townhouses will very likely attract at least 100 school kids to our already crowded schools etc, etc. This really is/was a Village issue. Your comment about parking isn't terribly relevant, because IF the town had been committed to utilize this land for the Village, I am sure parking would have been arranged. Nobody ever suggested this should be a 30-acre NEIGHBORHOOD park. It COULD have been so much more for the whole Village...a school, a soccer field, a nature center, an ampitheather, a skate park, a tennis court, etc etc. Pete - I'll post the digital pictures tonight. | ||
| Eric DeVaris Citizen Username: Eric_devaris Post Number: 38 Registered: 2-2003 |
CageyD, You say:“The quarry issue seems to break down very much along town boundary lines - namely how close to Newstead/the quarry you live.” I say: Not so. 400 households (600 individuals) in the Village have been supporting financially the legal fight to preserve the Quarry for four years; 400 households must, and do, extend far beyond the Newstead/Quarry boundaries. There were dozens of families who contributed to that fight coming from the east side of the Village, far beyond the Newstead/Quarry boundaries. A few contributors were from Maplewood as well; far beyond the Newstead/Quarry boundaries. You say: “(an overgrown pit really)”. I say: Not so. The NJ Department of Environmental Protection has designated 1/3 of the quarry as wetlands. Not just an overgrown pit, is it? You say: “I'm surprised that there were so many 100 year old trees considering this was an active quarry within the last 100 years”. I say: until last week (I don’t know if they are still there) there were piles of fallen trees in the entrance of the quarry waiting to be picked up. If you would go close and count the rings of many of these trees you would count up to 200. I did. Most of these trees came from beyond the rim of the actual quarry but still within the property. You say: “I found it frustrating that if I, as a South ORange resident, wanted to benefit from this natural open space there was no parking or other facilities that would have allowed me to use it.” I say: in the past, there was nothing that would prevent you from driving up the hill, park your car along the entrance of the quarry, get out, easily jump the fence, trespass but nobody cared, enjoy a walk in the woods, or along a stream, surprise - or be surprised by – a fox or a deer, look-up at a soaring hawk, and listen to the silence surrounding you. No more. Now you cannot do any of the above. Now, do you find this frustrating, as a South Orange resident? From what you tell us here CageyD, I see that you are uninformed, and that is unfortunate. Eric | ||
| Guesswho Citizen Username: Guesswho Post Number: 34 Registered: 9-2003 |
To the THREEposters who insist that the rest of us have to care: Just think..when your homes were built, 100 year old (or more) trees had to be removed. And guess what, they grew back. Trees grow, are cut down, or blown down or torn down, and they GROW again. Renewable resources, thats what they are. That old pit sat empty for the 30 odd years I've lived here (adjacent to it) and all I saw it attract were teenagers looking for a isolated spot to do various illegal things. I welcome new neighbors who will contribute to the beauty and vitality of South Orange much more so than that old dangerous hole in the ground. | ||
| Dan Shelffo Citizen Username: Openspacer Post Number: 68 Registered: 6-2001 |
Guesswho, You can make fun of me if you want but I care too. I think that the quarry had a lot more potential to contribute to the beauty and vitality of SO than to be used as a spot for 31 9,000 square foot multi family homes. I do not know if you ever took a walk in but here is a look: http://www.shelffo.com/quarrylast.html and see it now: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze3dmq2/pages/nowheretogo.htm | ||
| Guesswho Citizen Username: Guesswho Post Number: 36 Registered: 9-2003 |
Dan Were you walking and photographing it when it was PRIVATE property? Lucky you didn't get arrested for trespassing or worse, hurt yourself and then sue the owner for having an "attractive nuisance". | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 440 Registered: 5-2001 |
I'm sure those pictures were taken from the Annex, with a really good zoom lense.  | ||
| Eric DeVaris Citizen Username: Eric_devaris Post Number: 39 Registered: 2-2003 |
In an era when the whole world worries about the effects of urban sprawl, about global warming, about the global catastrophic consequences of deforestation in Brasil, Africa, and North America, I never thought that, here in my own South Orange that I love so much, I would read revolting lines such as guesswho's: "when your homes were built, 100 year old (or more) trees had to be removed. And guess what, they grew back. Trees grow, are cut down, or blown down or torn down, and they GROW again. Renewable resources, thats what they are." It really hurts. Eric | ||
| Dan Shelffo Citizen Username: Openspacer Post Number: 69 Registered: 6-2001 |
My son was four when we moved here. He used to consider those long walks "adventures". Today he is nine and he was devestated when all the trees were cut. I am glad that those adventures seem to have instilled in him an appreciation of nature that allowes him to see trees as beautiful rather than just as timber waiting to be cut. I feel bad for my son but even sorrier for people like Guesswho because they lived next to a pit while we lived near a forest. | ||
| Guesswho Citizen Username: Guesswho Post Number: 37 Registered: 9-2003 |
Yup..take your son to the 2000 acre forest a few 100 yards up South Orange Avenue. The trails are incredible, hiking over the trees downed by nature is an adventure and the deer,chipmunks,racoons and other wildlife is a joy to see. Amazing to have this natural refuge within the suburban area we all choose to live in. Any more "nature" and I might as well live in Warren or Sussex. And don't ever ever let him burn a log at a campfire, live in a wooden house, write on a piece of paper, for even though wood is renewable and does grow back, I am sure he and you would NEVER EVER want to use anything that came from a tree. |
