Trees

Two camphor trees adjacent to the newly reconstructed Memorial Field that were slated for removal have gotten a reprieve. The City Council this week postponed signing off on an agreement with the school district for their removal, meaning the trees will likely stay for the next year, city parks officials said. Earlier this year, Burbank Unified School District officials warned that berries from the trees would stain the stadium's artificial-turf surface and the track. Though the stains would not harm the structure, the discoloration would not be covered by any warranty, and district officials said there is little money to spend on extra maintenance.

HILLSIDE DISTRICT ? Though the sky may not actually be falling onto Mansfield Drive, residents in the neighborhood have heard their share of loud crashes over the past two weeks. Two limbs from the liquid amber trees that line both sides of the street snapped off during the last weeks of July, the first one crashing down onto resident Jeffrey Daniel's car. "They've been falling like crazy," area resident Bruce Noll said. When the second limb fell on July 26, Maryon Parnes was out in her front yard talking with her son. "All of a sudden we heard this crash," Parnes said.

Los Angeles city crews on Friday were working to clean up debris and some 400 downed trees in shuttered Griffith Park, many of which had fallen on Roosevelt Municipal Golf Course. They said the park would likely be open by sunrise Saturday. Officials said two other parks in Northeast L.A. -- Ernest E. Debs and Elysian Park -- also had damage including hundreds of downed trees but were not closed. Other parks across the city were mostly spared, they said. "If this kind of damage had occurred throughout every park in the city, we'd really be in trouble," said Kevin Regan of the parks department.

Laura Sturza BURBANK -- As residents start putting holiday decorations back into their boxes, their Christmas trees can go out to the curb for recycling. "It's good for the environment and for the safety of the home," Burbank Fire Marshal Dave Starr said. As trees dry out, they can become a hazard if left in the house, Starr said. "When the tree is dried out, [residents] should not use the lights any longer and should take it out of the house," Starr said.

The scraping sounds of shovels hitting the ground echoed across the playground at Washington Elementary School on Wednesday, as students dug through mounds of dirt to make room for new trees. About 550 students took part in Warner Bros. Studios sixth annual tree planting event. Studios staff plant trees at a different school site every year. And Warner Bros. Employee volunteers, geared with shovels and gloves, came to give the students a helping hand. "We've made a commitment to do this every year," said Shelley Billik, vice president of environmental initiatives at Warner Bros.

Irma Lemus MAGNOLIA PARK -- Donating trees in memory of loved ones who have recently passed away, said Marge Allen, is a great way of honoring those loved ones while beautifying the city. The 57-year-old Burbank resident was part of a group of about 200 community members and organizations honored for their green gifts Thursday at the 45th Annual Plant-A-Tree Donor Awards ceremony at Verdugo Park. "I think it's a wonderful memorial for people who have touched my life," Allen said.

BURBANK — Following the March removal of seven trees from a dirt path at Whitnall Highway Park, some residents are calling for a return of the Pink Trumpet trees they say provided protection from disruptive athletic groups. The Park, Recreation & Community Services Department removed seven of the nine trees near the running path along the park’s distinctive figure-eight dirt track less than a week after officials planted the trees on March 18, which limited space to play football, soccer and other games, parks director Chris Dasté said.

Rosette Gonzales In an Earth Day celebration, Rachel Dawson stood in front of Magnolia Park School's new garden and quizzed students about why people need trees. "For oxygen," yelled a group of elementary students as Dawson, a representative from the TreePeople, an organization that plants trees in communities, asked some of them to help her plant an orange tree in the garden. But there was one more obvious reason people need trees, high school student Michael Valencia stated.

EDWARD HEADINGTON Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services, an education and treatment center for youth in the probation system, rings in the holiday season with its 51st annual Festival of Trees Monday at the Hilton Burbank Airport and Convention Center, 2500 N. Hollywood Way. The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and costs $45. This includes lunch, a fashion show and the opportunity to win one of 50 decorated ...

Gary Casella hovered over a 17-foot bundled Christmas tree one recent morning under a large white tent on the Burbank High School soccer field. “This one's going to the city of Burbank,” Casella, 74, said of the 19-year-old tree, one of the first he would deliver this season. Casella's 75-year-old Christmas tree business - founded in 1937 by his father, Paul Casella - has been operating in Burbank for nearly five decades. “I told my dad before he passed I'd get to 75 years,” Casella said of the business.

Good morning, readers. Today is Wednesday, September 5. Got the Back to School blues? Students enrolling for classes at Glendale Community College were disheartened to return to the campus Tuesday with few options . Many are on wait lists. Glendale News-Press A 19-year-old North Hollywood High School student will get $2.4 million from LAUSD after he allegedly broke his neck during a football tryout, reports the L.A. Times . He was apparently not provided a helmet during the practice.

Two camphor trees adjacent to the newly reconstructed Memorial Field that were slated for removal have gotten a reprieve. The City Council this week postponed signing off on an agreement with the school district for their removal, meaning the trees will likely stay for the next year, city parks officials said. Earlier this year, Burbank Unified School District officials warned that berries from the trees would stain the stadium's artificial-turf surface and the track. Though the stains would not harm the structure, the discoloration would not be covered by any warranty, and district officials said there is little money to spend on extra maintenance.

As a $12.2 million makeover of Memorial Field at John Burroughs High School nears completion, city leaders and school board members continue debating the possibility of replacing six camphor trees on one end of the field - a move that would cost the district about $21,000. Earlier this month, Burbank Unified School District officials warned that berries from the trees would stain the stadium's artificial-turf surface and the track. Though the stains would not harm the structure, the discoloration would not be covered by any warranty, and district officials said there is little money to spend on extra maintenance.

A decision by Burbank City Council members last year to not remove a row of trees despite concerns the foliage would damage a new multi-million stadium at Burroughs High School has caught up with them. _________________________ FOR THE RECORD: This story incorrectly spells Vahe Hovanessian's name. _________________________ Mere weeks before the $12-million Memorial Field remodel is set to open, it has become clear to stakeholders - including some on the City Council - that debris and berries from the Camphor trees is marring the site, even as construction on the track remains ongoing.

As the holidays season nears an end, so does the need for a Christmas tree. The City of Burbank has a few options for those of you who want to recycle your tree. Residents can take old trees to the Verdugo Park Parking lot or McCambridge Park on the Andover Drive side. The city will then turn the tree mulch into compost. The city will also be picking up trees near regular curbside trash over the next couple of weeks. -- Ross A. Benson, for Times Community News Photo: Christmas tree recycling drop-off at McCambridge Park in Burbank.

Los Angeles city crews on Friday were working to clean up debris and some 400 downed trees in shuttered Griffith Park, many of which had fallen on Roosevelt Municipal Golf Course. They said the park would likely be open by sunrise Saturday. Officials said two other parks in Northeast L.A. -- Ernest E. Debs and Elysian Park -- also had damage including hundreds of downed trees but were not closed. Other parks across the city were mostly spared, they said. "If this kind of damage had occurred throughout every park in the city, we'd really be in trouble," said Kevin Regan of the parks department.

A parolee who allegedly fled the scene of crash on the Golden State (5) Freeway overnight Monday was eventually captured after he fell out of a tree that he was hiding in. The man, Glendon Mullican of North Hollywood, was taken to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center after falling roughly 35 feet to the ground about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. The incident prompted authorities to close the freeway near Burbank Boulevard during the search. Police were called to the Interstate 5 between Scott Road and Burbank Boulevard at about 12:05 a.m. Tuesday after reports that Mullican, 40, allegedly fled the scene after crashing his car on the freeway on ramp at San Fernando Boulevard.

A handful of half-century-old trees on North Keystone Street could be removed this summer because officials say their roots and canopies will likely damage a new track planned for John Burroughs High School. A dozen of the Camphor trees along the 300 block of North Keystone Street line the sidewalk across from residential homes and will hang over the new track at Memorial Field, which is under construction. If the City Council delays the issue any longer, officials say the sidewalk along that block of North Keystone Street — often used for physical conditioning for athletic teams and by students walking to and from school — will be closed for the beginning of the school year.