October 25, 1998 Save the Naval Station   On the same day that Greenpeace members were protesting the destruction of the old growth forests in Canada, I was witnessing the same kind of tree murder right here in Long Beach on the Navy Base. For over two years I and many other citizens have fought to prevent this crime, to no avail. We had attended dozens of public gatherings, written thousands of letters, pleaded with the Port of Long Beach, the Long Beach Planning Commission, the Long Beach City Council, the California Coastal Commission, the U.S. Navy, state and federal judges, the Congress and even the President of the United States to stop this violation. No one would lift a finger to help. Even with four lawsuits still to be decided, the Port of Long Beach has moved their bulldozers onto the Terminal Island Naval Base. And now the beautiful Roosevelt Campus is no more. The sixty year old ficus trees, which has cleansed the polluted air provided shade, beauty and nesting habitat for hundreds of birds, are demolished. This morning's Press-Telegram reports that a telephone survey shows that a majority of those calling favored putting the Navy Base issue on the ballot. (The survey would have been more meaningful if the numbers of those pro and con had been reported, as had been done in previous surveys.) It is too late for the PT or the City to finally be showing some token interest in the democratic process - the anarchists have won. As I have said before: I hope future generations can forgive Long Beach for this destruction. I cannot. Ann Cantrell cc: Mayor O'Neill and City Council Members Long Beach Press-Telegram Richard I. Fine, Attorney