Thursday 7/21/05 · 9:00 AM

A Redbud Memorial will be held at the site at noon on Thursday, July 21. Mary Ann Grady Flores writes:

Protesters are still in negotiations with Cornell regarding the trees and amnesty for the protesters. Our presence is still needed to support this effort. Join us at the front gate. We will proceed back to the perimeter fence near the occupied tree after we gather.

We invite the community out to hear the voices of those who participated in this effort to save our Redbuds and from everyone concerned. Bring a statement or a song, a prayer, a reading, your thoughts, your self. Be with us in moments of silence. Bring your children, your art. Be with us in witness to the truth of what is happening.

Wednesday 7/20/05 · 9:00 PM

Reports from the site are that three people remain in the trees, and are continuing to ask for support and witnesses.

Wednesday 7/20/05 · 9:30 AM

The trees are coming down even though activists remain in the woods. Contractors are cutting trees using heavy machinery and large chippers. One worker was injured by a chipper and was taken away in an ambulance. Ithaca City police attempted to seize one activist - "not exactly gently" according to a witness - when he tried to switch arms in his lock box, but were unsuccessful. In the end, Cornell grounds employees removed him by digging out the lock box with him still in it. He and two supporters were arrested. Five people remain in two tree platforms; there are a number of supporters on the ground, who are asking for others to come to help and/or be witnesses.

Mary Ann Grady Flores sent this narrative of the night's events:

I went to Redbuds to check on the Redbud Defenders at 12:30 am last night (Tues) and found 6 in the trees, 4 on 1 platform and 2 on the 2nd platform, all in good spirits, but because they were fasting, they were cold with the weather change. Cornell police officers were passing up water and Gatoraid to the folks who have been fasting since their small food supply ran out. There were lights glaring through the woods with generators whose buzzing noise invaded the peace of the woods. Jay was on day 4 of his fast and locked in the ground at the front gate. At 2:15 am things got really ugly when one Cornell police officer & two Ithaca Police officers tried to tackle Jay pulling on his arms as he switched arms in the lock box. I got up on the fence next to him and started screaming at them, "Shame, Shame on you for picking on a guy who is totally vulnerable, fasting for 4 days, with no sleep." I woke the whole neighborhood and people came running from different directions. Jay was very calm after it happened, much more than I after what he had just gone through. There was a group of about 5 of us huddled near him at the fence when this all came down. All the cops of Cornell came over and it was very strange for me to see a bunch of construction guys hanging around. The image was like something out of a sci-fi movie, with the Hollywood lights behind the cops, enlarging their images as they stood in the backdrop of this scene. It was new for the Ithaca police to be there at all, and especially at 2am in the morning. Something was about to happen. What was so weird was that they were all standing, as if waiting like jackels about to go in for the kill. I was so shaken and knew we needed to get press there and more people out and started for home to make the calls on the phone tree. As I looked back I could see them walking toward Jay, laying there. As soon as I got home I got the call that they had begun to dig him out , but, under a tarp, so no one could watch! Psyrx, who has acted as a liaison with Ithaca Mayor Peterson, was arrested for allegedly snipping a piece of string so the tarp would fall back giving visibility. He charged with obstruction of justice, and released on $100 bail. The Mayor pro temp, Michelle Berry came as soon as she got the call at 3:30 am. Simon Wheeler of the Ithaca Journal also responded immediately to the call to photograph Jay being removed. Many community members got to the scene by 4 am, thanks to phoning by Tim Allen and Danny Burns. The work was all set to go for today and now the trees are being cut. One of the 2nd platform people, a young man nicknamed Corn Dog came down last night and was released without charge. Ilonka Wloch, editor of Positve News, came down from the 1st platform, running towards the trees as the workers began to cut, hoping to dialogue with them, and was arrested. John Hamilton, Ilonka's partner was also arrested as he jumped the fence to join her. As of 2:30pm today, Jane Doe 2, or Tree, as she calls herself, of the 2nd platform came down. I don't know if she was charged. Three people, two of whom are community members, remain on the 1st platform. As of this evening, the parents of the protesters negotiated warm clothing and Emergen-C drink to be past up the the remaining three people.

Tuesday 7/19/05 · 4:00 PM

While the Working Group has ended its occupation of the site in accordance with the agreement of 7/18, a few others remain and are holding a rally on Wednesday 7/20 at 7:30 AM. A visitor to the site today reports:

I was there til 3, and was told there were still at least two people in trees and one or two locked down. They are hungry and thirsty (one is apparently on a hunger strike) but there is no way I can see to get them food and water, since to try to go in there is probably to get arrested. The police are cleaning up the site preparatory to beginning the demolition. I have heard that that will start to happen about 7:30 am.

Monday 7/18/05 · 4:00 PM

An agreement has been reached between the Working Group and the Cornell Administration to end the occupation of the woods in exchange for a number of steps to further sustainability and democracy at Cornell. We remain opposed to this parking lot, and are still determined to challenge and transform the power structures of our University. To all our supporters, thanks and stay involved!

See this statement from the Faculty Working Group.

Monday 7/18/05 · 1:00 PM

Last night's vigil - with more than a hundred people present - was held in the woods itself thanks to an amnesty from the police. While that amnesty has expired, no new tickets have been issued. Negotiations between students and the administration are continuing past the original 12:00 deadline, with further meetings planned this afternoon.

Saturday 7/16/05 · 7:30 PM

Calling all Redbuddies, family, friends, and community:

The struggle continues! Come together to build hope and show solidarity.

Join us this Sunday, July 17 at 7pm for an interfaith candlelight vigil at the Redbud Woods. We need to come together as a community and show our support for the brave students, staff, faculty and community members inside the fence. Keeping a presence at the woods this weekend will be crucial.

We need everyone to come out on Sunday. Bring your family, your neighbors, and friends. Bring candles if you have them, ribbons and artwork to tie on the fence, or just bring yourself.

Spread the word, and see you there!

Saturday 7/16/05 · 7:00 PM

LEGAL ADVICE

Chuck Guttman, a local lawyer who came highly recommended has graciously agreed to meet with anyone who received a Redbud trespassing citation to discuss with us how we might best proceed. Thank you, Chuck!

The meeting will be held at his office this Monday, July 18th at 7:30 pm at 411 N. Tioga Street. His office phone is 272-2102, but be aware that he will be away for the weekend.

Saturday 7/16/05 · 11:00 AM

Police issued new citations to protestors who were inside the fence this morning. There has been no barbed wire put up on the fence, and no sign that any will be installed. There are 8 people on the site in trees or locked to anchors, and others providing support. Police are still letting people into the site, but anyone going in will get a citation. There is no sign of any attempt to force people out, but it is possible that they will try to do so on Sunday or Monday. A number of people are talking about negotiating a settlement, but no specific proposals have surfaced so far.

Photo: Laurie Drinkwater

Friday 7/15/05 · 1:30 PM

The chain-link fence is going up quickly, and it looks like it will be topped with barbed wire. Anyone who wants to be inside the perimeter (and thus willing to be arrested) should come ASAP. It may also make it difficult to get food inside, so if you have food to contribute, try to bring it soon.

Friday 7/15/05 · 10:15 AM

The CU police are not making arrests right now, and they are not dragging people off site. However they have begun issuing citations for trespassing. About 25 people so far have received citations today, and there are additional people on site but not within the perimeter. The Redbuddies have been given assurances from CU that there are not plans today to drag people off site (possibly because the contractors are not ready to begin). But given the events of this past Wednesday, the organizers are less assured by "assurances" from Cornell than they might be.

Meanwhile, a delegation of faculty members are attempting to speak again to Hunter Rawlings today (CU president).

Apparently some City of Ithaca officials are on site right now, determining property line boundaries. It appears that maybe the CU Police placed the fence outside of the CU-owned property, so the City may require them to move the fence.

Friday 7/15/05 · 9:00 AM

Police have begun arresting protestors. PLEASE COME TO THE WOODS ASAP. We desperately need a large crowd of witnesses and supporters.

Photo: Jason van Staveren

At the same time, workers began erecting a chain-link fence around the woods, beginning on the south lawn of 660 Stewart Ave. They were about to cut down the small tree in the photo but stopped when they saw the cameras.

Photo: Jason van Staveren

Thursday 7/14/05 · 8:00 AM

So far, there have been no arrests, but police are no longer allowing people to go into the woods freely. Rawlings says he hopes the protesters leave the woods. Right now there are close to a dozen CUPD officers on site at all times. There is a strong consensus among the group that we are going to do absolutely everything we can to save these woods. Over the past six weeks, police have attempted to clear the woods twice and both times, finding that they were drastically outnumbered they withdrew immediately.

We need a critical mass of people at the site at all times. This constant and vibrant occupation not only serves to improve the morale of all of the Redbuddies who have been locked down, it acts as a deterrent to any action in the woods, thus forcing the university back to the table.

Wednesday 7/13/05 · 4:30 PM

While people were still meeting in Rawlings' office, police and construction workers moved in. Most of the site has been fenced off, and posted signs put up. A number of people are inside the fenced-in area, including whole families. The police are there as well; they have been friendly and respectful while everyone waits for the next move. It could happen any minute, or it could happen in the middle of the night. It is vital to keep the presence up, both inside and outside the fence, 24 hours a day.

The administration's behavior has been outrageous. Deciding to cut is bad enough, but we had been negotiating in good faith, keeping the presence in the woods modest, trusting in the University's promise to give notice before moving in. Instead, they started while the meeting was happening, and made the promised phone call after the fence was up. Even so, there are a lot of people down here. Come and join us!

Photo: Wayne Harbert

Photo: Wayne Harbert

Wednesday 7/13/05 · 2:30 PM

Hunter Rawlings is meeting with faculty members to announce his decision on the woods at 2:30 today. We also have credible evidence that CUPD are preparing to do "something" at 2:30 pm today (they also have a very detailed diagram of the woods and our devices hanging in their office). It is likely that police are planning on moving in immediately at the conclusion of the meeting to clear the woods and make way for construction. Police have already begun to fence off the area, even as the meeting with President Rawlings continues.

WE NEED ALL REDBUDDIES TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE WOODS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Police are likely to use force in removing protesters and witnesses are desperately needed. Call 272-9635 for immediate information.

Wednesday 7/13/05 · 1:30 PM

Interim President Hunter Rawlings has indicated that his decision regarding the Woods is imminent. Members of the Working Group will be in the Woods around the clock. Please stop by Redbud Woods [Location] whenever you can and show your support. Now is the time to email President Rawlings (president@cornell.edu) and be sure to CC University Provost Biddy Martin (cam18@cornell.edu).

A Letter from Jane Marie Law, Professor of Asian Studies and Member of the Redbud Woods Faculty Working Group:

Dear Friends, Colleagues, Neighbors and Community:

(please pass this on)

On Friday afternoon (7/8), I was invited, along with about ten other faculty members, to meet with President Hunter Rawlings to discuss the fate of Redbud Woods. We appealed to him not to proceed with the plan to pave the woods. We pointed out that:

1) we are not naive and know this is not virgin rainforest
2) we feel there are many viable and better alternatives to paving this green space and gateway that have already been presented and ignored
3) the damage this plan to pave will do to Cornell's local, regional, and even national reputation is considerable and underestimated and
4) we are all willing to really put our aging, arthritic (or in some cases, young and robust) shoulders to the wheel to work out real, long term solutions to driving behavior and parking on campus. The buy-in right now to solve the problem in deep and sustained ways is very high. We do not want to lose this chance to effect REAL SOCIAL CHANGE and save a piece of green space in the process.

It was a respectful, but not hopeful, meeting. The incorrigibly optimistic amongst us left with shreds of hope. Most of us did not. But here is the bottom line: Hunter Rawlings is going to make a decision in the next day or so and that decision will likely not change once it has been announced. This is it. I am appealing to you to write to Hunter Rawlings sometime before Monday morning (Sunday is preferable, and copy Biddy Martin (cam18@cornell.edu) His e-mail is president@cornell.edu.

Here is the angle I have come to: This is a small piece of land. It is a typical volunteer urban site -- green, consisting of natives and non-natives, a few invasives and in need of stewardship. It is beautiful in the spring, green in the summer, and empty and wild in the fall and winter. People walk through there. Birds live there. It is, to me, not an extraordinary piece of land, but a very important one for lots of ecological, social and symbolic reasons. But we are at a stage in our population of the world as its greatest invasive species (human beings) that all of the environmental battles we are going to be fighting in the years close head are going to be over little patches of green like this one. Now is the time to recognize this. In light of the fact that we can come up with a much better plan, and have already done so, we should not wantonly pave over a valuable and beautiful green space. It is, as Tom Eisner so eloquently said this past Friday, "a good time to set a good example."

Please join me today in our 11th hour plea on behalf of this green space. Next spring, when you see the Redbuds blooming there, you will know you had a small part to play in keeping Ithaca a greener city.

We need you today.

Thank you,

JML

Wednesday 7/13/05 · 1:00 PM

The Faculty of the Redbud Woods Working Group presented a document to Interim President Hunter Rawlings on July 1, 2005 titled "Why Redbud Woods Must Not Be Destroyed." This document includes:

- a list of alternatives to the proposed Redbud Woods Parking Lot
- a proposal for a protected Urban Woodland. This would offer a place of tranquil beauty close to the new West Campus dorms and offer an enticing, people-friendly natural border between campus and town.
- the announcement that more than $33,000 has been pledged to create the Urban Woodland
- Professor Tom Whitlow's offer to take on Redbud Woods as the class project for his course in Restoration Ecology
- the proposal for a new committee to address local sustainability issues
- a Washington Post article titled "Colleges Compete to Shrink Their Mark On the Environment"

[Download Document as a PDF]

The Introduction to the Document Reads as Follows:

A large number of Cornell faculty members (about 375 at last count) have expressed opposition to the cutting of Redbud Woods for a parking lot. Recently, about forty of us have formed a working group to research and discuss alternatives in an effort to persuade the administration to reconsider its decision to pave the wooded lot. A group of highly intelligent, dedicated, and idealistic students from biology, city and regional planning, government, English, and other majors have given even more of their time to this effort. Since the movement in the 1980s to get Cornell to divest its holdings in South Africa, no other issue has so galvanized students and faculty.  

It is a movement inspired by love of nature, the value of this wooded tract for teaching and recreation, appreciation of the history of the Treman estate (and the vision of its designer, Warren Manning), and the glaring inconsistency between woodland destruction and Cornell's commitments to sustainability, wise and open decision-making, and respect for community land-use concerns.

Destruction of Redbud Woods would be met with great resistance. An attempt to remove the students by force would be widely condemned and generate terrible publicity. It would create, at the beginning of the term of the interim president, an atmosphere of hostility and mistrust that would negatively affect recruitment of students and new faculty, as well as a new president. We sincerely hope that the administration will fully weigh these costs in making its decision.

Wednesday 7/7/05 · 11:00 PM

A Message from Danny Pearlstein - member of the Redbud Woods Working Group:

Hello Redbuddies,

In May, we heard from Cornell administrators that Redbud Woods would be cut following graduation to make way for the proposed 176 space University Avenue parking lot. In June, we heard soon after President Lehman’s resignation that construction would be well underway before he left office. Vice President Susan Murphy, the University executive in charge of the quarter billion dollar West Campus Residential Initiative project told us: “There is no question that this parking lot will be built.”

Welcome to July. Nearly one month since a small patch of trees was irresponsibly chopped near Von Cramm cooperative on the morning of Monday, June 6, not even a shrub has been lost. Our coalition is stronger than ever. Our hundreds of supporters among the Cornell faculty raised over $30,000 during a few days last week for the restoration of Redbud Woods as premier urban woodland, a vital green space to enjoy and to study. At Friday’s press conference, several faculty members announced their intention to collaborate with Interim President Hunter Rawlings on a series of short, medium, and long-term transportation solutions that can both save the Woods and secure Cornell’s position as a leader in consistency of commitment to sustainability.

In early June, administrators engaged students, faculty, and local residents in negotiations to learn whether Cornell could make concessions that would get the community out of the Woods and allow chainsaws and bulldozers in. What they found instead was the depth of our own commitment, both to our effort in microcosm and to the betterment of Cornell and Ithaca. Ultimately, administrators determined not to cut during the remainder of President Lehman’s now expired term, provided that faculty members would begin giving up their parking permits and that students and other protesters would “leave the wooded area and cease camping, hanging out, digging holes and carting in slabs of stone.” They changed their tune at least in substance, if not so much in style.

We have since received word that Vice President Murphy will be on vacation until July 14 and that Interim President Rawlings is unlikely to make any final decision on this matter in his first few weeks in office. Meanwhile, we must continue our ongoing, respectful campaign to convince key administrators that the University Avenue lot is unnecessary in the immediate term, both for contractor parking and for faculty involvement with students on West Campus, and that strategic parking demand management can erase any future “need” for the lot as well. If support for Redbud Woods from students, faculty, and community members remains even a fraction of what it has been in recent weeks, I am confident that we will prevail on behalf of this great campus and city of which we are a vibrant part.

Love,

Danny Pearlstein

Thursday 6/30/05 · 5:30 PM

The Redbud Faculty Working Group will hold a press conference tomorrow, July 1 (the first day of Hunter Rawlings's tenure as Interim President of Cornell University), at 10 am in Redbud Woods. We will have several significant announcements, including a list of alternative proposals to the West Campus parking lot and the amount of money so far pledged to maintain a protected woodlands in the area between University Avenue and Llenroc. Since the press conference is also a show of support for preserving the woods, we welcome supporters from the larger community. Please come and be visible!

Wednesday 6/29/05 · 3:30 PM

WE THE PEOPLE come together to acknowledge our good fortune at living in a country blessed with the influence and resources to create positive change, and to live into the possibility of a sustainable future that fulfills the promise of democracy at home and abroad. Interdependence Day DISH-TO-PASS PICNIC and CELEBRATION at the Redbud Woods where University Ave. meets Willard Way and Gun Hill Saturday, July 2, 2005 1:00 to 4:00pm Refreshments veggie burgers!) Bring family, friends, food, instruments... The forecast for Saturday is beautiful (partly sunny, highs in the mid 70s)

Monday 6/20/05 · 11:30 PM

Tune in to the rhythms of nature in the city and celebrate the longest day of the year Welcome summer with science & spirit at the REDBUD WOODS Where University Ave. meets Willard Way and Gun Hill Tuesday, June 21 - 8:00pm Refreshments. Bring family and friends!

Thursday 6/16/05 · 10:30 PM

The Redbud Woods Working Group presents
SUSTAINABLE DREAMS: An Art Installation Celebrating the Defense of Our Beloved Woods, Our Personal Stories, and Visions of the Sustainable World of Our Dreams

Please contribution to this art of resistance...
Make art at 660 Stewart Ave -
Thursday: 6:30pm
Friday: 8:30am - 6pm

Saturday, June 18:
2-5pm Make art and Tour the Woods
5:30 - 8:30pm Open Mike, Spoken Word, Poetry, Music, and Dance

At the Redbud Woods - Corner of University and University
Come anytime! Children welcome!
Questions? Call Grace: 280-8496 - Also, see Press Release

Thursday 6/16/05 · 11:30 AM

Of course, the big news last weekend was President Lehman's resignation. So far as we know, this has nothing to do with Redbud Woods, but it does have significant implications on the issue. Former University President Rawlings will take over as interim president, and we must now turn our attention to him, as well as continuing University provost Biddy Martin, and, perhaps most importantly, the Board of Trustees. In case President Rawlings gives the impression he is unfamiliar with the Redbud Woods issue, this letter from the University Hill Neighborhood, dated April 24, 2002, shows otherwise.

Negotiations continue, as do preparations for defense of the Woods. A new affinity group has also formed to discuss strategies for harnessing community and alumni support.

On Monday, more than 130 people from the Cornell and Ithaca communities turned out (on short notice!) for a community demonstration of support, in front of the cut section of Redbud Woods. At the rally, Danny Pearlstein announced that, over Reunion Weekend, more than 500 alumni had signed on in support of the Woods, the great majority of them pledging to withhold financial contributions to the University if destruction of the Woods goes ahead as planned. The Redbud Woods Working Group also took the opportunity to thank members of the community for their continued help and support.

Also mentioned was the memorial dedication of Redbud Woods on Sunday, June 12 to Dorothy Reddington, an inspired and inspirational supporter of Redbud Woods who passed away last summer. Dorothy raised millions of dollars for Cornell in her lifetime and her obituary articulated that Cornell is a great institution that would be even greater if only it realized it didn't need another parking lot. In many ways, Dorothy began the effort to save Redbud Woods, and we carry on that effort in her memory.

The rally was followed by a screening of raw footage shot on and around Monday, June 6, 2005, the day cutting was begun and later halted. The 27 minutes of footage are available for download in RealPlayer and Windows Media Player formats.

Monday 6/13/05 · 12:30 AM

Fellow Ithacans, with the university in transition, now is the time to stand up and let Cornell know that our opposition to the destruction of Redbud Woods will not waver, and is in fact stronger now than ever!

Sunday 6/12/05 · 4:00 PM

Please join us at 6 PM this evening in the interior of Redbud Woods for a brief memorial dedication of the Woods to Dorothy Reddington, an inspired and inspirational supporter of our effort who passed away last summer. Dorothy raised millions and millions for Cornell in her lifetime and her obituary articulated that Cornell is a great institution that would be even greater if only it realized it didn't need another parking lot. The dedication will be followed by a vigil and sunset campfire.

Discussions with University administrators over the fate of Redbud Woods and Cornell's efforts at sustainability, democracy, and improved relations with the community are continuing. As such, the University has promised not to restart work in the Woods tomorrow, Monday, as previously planned. Presumably, Tuesday is still a possibility.

Friday 6/10/05 · 11:30 PM

Construction has been halted and the Redbud Woods Working Group has entered in closed-door negotiations with the Administration. No moratorium has been announced and we should continue to be on alert. Laurene Gilbert, manager of the parking lot project, indicated that "the university would probably try to start construction again next week" (The Ithaca Journal June 8, 2005).

Wednesday 6/7/05 · 1:28 PM

No cutting occurred yesterday. There has been speculation that construction might be on hold until after Reunion Weekend, but we must be prepared incase they try to catch us off guard. Please stop by whenever you can, and check the website often to learn about any important recent developments.

Student and community protesters continue to buy us time, which we must use wisely. As the number of faculty supporters escalates, the University soils its reputation by so blatantly ignoring their concerns. We must spread the word of the faculty's treatment, and make the Administration realize the repercussions down the line in terms of new faculty recruitment.

We must now win the media battle. When Cornell University is mentioned in the press, the Administration takes notice, as evidenced by the recent dubious PR piece "Parking Lot FAQs," posted to the University website. As the media battle escalates, spreading around the Internet and from the local papers into the pages of the New York Times, this can only help our cause. Though the University is kicking their PR department into high gear, we have numbers on our side, as well as spirit, community, truth, etc. The University can only repeat its line "We see it differently'' so many times before the hollowness of their stance becomes apparent. Please, EVERYONE, write the media! Instructions for writing the Ithaca Journal, as well as other action information, can be found on the main Take Action page.

Spurred by the success of the faculty list of supporters, we are beginning to assemble a list of alumni supporters as well. The Cornell alumni represent a major source of financial contributions to the University, and informing them of the Administration's intentions and documenting their dissatisfaction should also put pressure on the Administration to consider the harm they are inflicting on themselves and our beloved University. Clearly Reunion Weekend figures into our strategic planning. We are also in the initial stages of planning for a list of University staff supporters.

Monday 6/6/05 · 3:30 PM

At about 8:15 this morning, workers from Economy paving came to begin work on the woods. The started cutting trees on the north end of the Redbud Woods. They managed to get about a half a dozen trees down before redbud activists were able to stop construction by physically putting themselves in the way of the falling trees. Workers approached students and community members with chain saws and continued to fell trees within feet of redbud woods activists.

Soon thereafter police made it to the site at the request of Economy paving. Contractors demanded that all activists be immediately arrested, but both CUPD and IPD refused to proceed with arrests saying that they did not have enough officers to deal with the sheer number of protesters.

In end, the bulldozers went away, defeated for at least the day. This is thanks to all of the hard work and courage of the people who put themselves in the way of this disaster. Certainly they'll be back tomorrow but for now lets celebrate the huge victory we had today; we stopped the machine in its tracks. Below are some action steps to ensure the continued safety of the woods.

Action Steps -

1. Meeting tonight at 7:00 in the woods.

2. Come live in the Redbud Woods - the police were really well behaved today but ONLY because we had so many people here.

3. If you can't come to the meeting or stay the night, come to the woods at 7 am tomorrow to provide support to your fellow redbuddies.

4. TURN YOUR PHONES ON! if you want to be called in case of emergency in the woods, e-mail pjy3@cornell.edu.

For instant updates, call 607-857-0128 or stop by the woods.