A stately but decaying elm in Pacific Grove that was at the center of a debate over  preservation versus public safety was removed from Jewell Park late last week.

On Friday, Dec. 17, a work crew chopped down the 40-foot elm, which a group of residents had tried to save but which the City of Pacific Grove said posed a danger to the public. A legal  battle was waged when Patricia Purwin and Charles Schwartz sued the city in hopes of stopping its removal. That fight ended Dec. 16 when. Monterey County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wills declined to temporarily restrain the city from taking the tree down.

When The City Council Wants To Go Dutch SAY NO