Miami Herald

Posted at 7:02 a.m. EDT Tuesday, June 12, 2001

Man arrested for trying to protect citrus trees

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- (AP) -- A man was arrested after barricading his seven citrus trees with his van in an attempt to save them from being cut down in the canker eradication program, officials said.

Alexander Christopher, 31, of Delray Shores, was arrested Monday for defying a court order allowing state agriculture workers to chop down his trees, authorities said.

Christopher drove his van onto his lawn to keep the workers from getting near the grapefruit and orange trees. He yelled at state agriculture workers to stay off his property.

``If they check the tree and find that it's bad, then I'll help them cut it down,'' Christopher said. ``But if they don't check and it's good, I'll do whatever to stop them.''

Christopher waited in a patrol car as workers cut down his trees. He was booked in Palm Beach County jail and released Monday night.

State agriculture officials have wanted to cut down about 600 citrus trees in Christopher's neighborhood since February when one infected lemon tree was found.

They were legally barred from doing so until Thursday, when an appeals court lifted the order of a Broward County judge in November. The order had prevented the state from taking healthy trees within 1,900 feet of a diseased tree.

Attorney Barry Silver, who represents the Delray Shores Homeowners Association, asked U.S. District Judge Wilkie Ferguson Monday to temporarily stop the cutting.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Answers

Well, they got ours already. As I heard it, they send out letters saying they plan to cut down the trees. If you don't reply to the letter saying no, then they have the right to cut the trees down.

At least, here in Dade.

I am so glad we found another tree with a higher concentration of vitamin C in its fruit.

Carombola. Star Fruit, to some. Delicious.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001