New Huntington Beach Attraction: Missing Trees of Mystery

est known for its surfers, skinheads and ultimate fighters, Huntington Beach has been overrun with a new breed of hepcat lately.

Radical air huggers.
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They have descended on Gibbs Park and Central Park and assorted spots around Surf City, camping next to empty spaces previously occupied by trees, wrapping their arms around what used to be bark and even giving the un-trees cute names such as “Thor,”  “Chloe” and “Mrs. Beasley.”

A mysterious spate of limbocide has made this rampant Earth muffiness possible. In August, seven pines and two eucalyptus trees were destroyed in Gibbs Park and five more trees in Central Park were also vandalized.

This so alarmed Huntington Beach City Hall that the City Council earlier this month took the first step toward enacting a $500 reward to nab tree vandals.

Three days after the War on Tree Terror was launched, 15 more trees valued at $7,500 were vandalized at Gibbs Park. Some of the eucalyptus trees had been re-planted by children's charities to take the place of previously felled shade makers.

On Oct. 7, the day after the latest Gibbs Park vandalism was discovered, a city tree was mysteriously cut down in front of the Main Street public library. Three days later, 30 to 40 palm trees were reported stolen from a Bushard Street nursery.

While the mysterious removal and/or chopping down of trees in Huntington Beach is cheered by air huggers, it does present an interesting question: What became of all that timber?

Whoever has the firewood sales concession for state beach fire rings better have an alibi.