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LHIA Special Update

Help Cliff Lake Tree

On the early evening of Friday June 18th, I was walking with my three-year-old son
Johnny along Cliff Lake on SE 12th Way, as we do almost every day after work. As we
walked, I noticed from a distance that something was not right about the Cliff Lake Tree
(#CliffLakeTree). As I approached, I could see some very large, black, painted squares
all over the outside of the tree. To me, it look like somebody had burned the tree and I
felt like someone punched me in the gut when I saw it. “How could somebody do
something like this to a tree?” I asked myself.

John Calabrese
Board Member
Lauderdale Harbors
Improvement Association

TEAM LHIA
Officers
President
Ed Rebholz
lauderdaleharbors@gmail.com
Vice-President
Aimara Sage
Secretary
Chelsea Krebs
Treasurer
Bonnie Rogers
Board Members
John Calabrese
Anna Carpenter As is my nature, I wanted to find out if there was any information about who may have
done it. My immediate reaction was to look around at the neighboring homes across the
street to see if any video cameras could have potentially captured the act of vandalism.
I spoke with one neighbor who shared an update on what had occurred.
We know now that the tree was vandalized on Friday, June 11, at approximately 7:20
pm. (Anyone who lives on SE 12th Way, please check your security camera’s video
history around that time window, as everything is being submitted into evidence for an
ongoing police investigation into this incident.) The vandals used a bright green paint.
We also know that this was not the only act of vandalism. Prior to this act, another
group vandalized the tree with pink spray paint. This was becoming a trend...a trend
that needed to be addressed ASAP. (continued pg. 20)

18 rio vista civic association • www.riovistaonline.com