Joe Vaniman, of La Verne, bought his 1930 Model A Roadster in 2004 and restored it with help from friends, including Stephen Salazar of La Verne, in the Pomona Valley Model A Club. As a final touch, Joe painted his Model A forest green and affixed the Los Angeles County Forestry Service insignia to its doors to honor his 35 years of service to the department as fire fighter and fire captain. / photo by Christian Uriarte

by Jason D. Cox and Lauren Creiman
photography by Christian Uriarte

­­Weathered and dented, a relic of a past few can remember, she stood at the side of the road. She seemingly waited and hoped for someone to give her a home. She was a 1930 Ford Model A Roadster, and she had no way of knowing that she would soon find love.

Eight years ago, Joe Vaniman and his wife Stemmie were taking a friend home from church when they saw the forgotten beauty on Wheeler Avenue in La Verne. Parked with a “For Sale” sign, the Model A beckoned to Joe. He gave in to temptation and stopped to investigate. Soon, he made arrangements to bring her home. “It was everything I could do to steer the thing,” he says about driving the “A” up the twisty Live Oak Canyon Road to his home. Joe, well acquainted with engineering, joined the Pomona Valley Model A Ford Club of America for help in restoring his roadster. He reworked the steering system so that it handled “almost as if it had power steering.” He replaced the wiring, installed a Model B engine, put in a lighter flywheel to make the clutch more manageable and did countless restoration details.

Today, his roadster pick-up is painted a deep green and bears an insignia on the driver side door that reads, “Los Angeles County Forestry Service.” Joe has driven his Model A in many parades, including the La Verne Independence Day parade and the San Dimas Western Days parade. He has won numerous trophies in the San Dimas car show. These shows and parades, Joe says, are important because “you get the chance to talk to people and tell them about a different time.” For Joe, his Model A is not only “just a really fun car to have and work on” but also a relic of his eventful past.

Elvo Joe Vaniman was born June 27, 1923, in Pomona Valley Hospital. At a young age, Joe was taught the value of hard work and raised to be self-sufficient. “My father left our family when I was 1 year old, and my mother went back to school at UCLA to get her teaching credential so she could support us,” Joe says. “For as long as I can remember, if we wanted anything, we had to work so we could get it ourselves.” His mother taught at the Lincoln and Roynon grammar schools for 30 years.

Joe joined the workforce early, washing dishes in the cafeteria of Bonita High School until he graduated from there in 1941. He then bussed tables at Wilson’s Café while he attended Chaffey Junior College. It was there that he met the chief of the Los Angeles County Forestry Service, a frequent diner. The two often talked, and eventually the chief convinced Joe to take the exam to become a forest firefighter. He began work June 1, 1942, and was initially sent to Pine Canyon near Elizabeth Lake to complete his six-month probationary period. Later, he bid for transfer to the San Dimas Station and won approval but was soon drafted into military service Jan. 7, 1943. “I received Army training, even though I ended up being a pilot,” Joe says. During World War II, the U.S. Air Force was called the U.S. Army Air Corps. “Once the Army found out I studied aeronautics at Chaffey, I was automatically placed in pilot training.”

Joe Vaniman’s Model A has several custom parts, including a Weber down draft carburetor (at left) and a Model B engine. He purchased the Model A with existing modifications but also added his own to make the car easier to drive in traffic. Joe says the basic design and simple parts of the Model A bring the car within reach of owner restoration and maintenance. This is the second Model A he has owned, the first bought for $95 when he graduated from Bonita High School. Joe later sold that “A” to the owner of Wilson’s cafe, where he bussed tables. / photo by Christian Uriarte

Flight training began at Ryan Field in Hemet, Calif., with the Ryan PT-22. Following, came basic training at Gardner Field in Taft, Calif., where he mastered the PT-13. On a weekend leave, he hitchhiked home to La Verne, gathered his bride-to-be Marilyn, pastor Newt Balch, his mother and her mother, and the couple was married that night at the pastor’s Third Street home. A friend’s bungalow in Corona del Mar afforded a one-night honeymoon. Joe hitchhiked back to Gardner Field to report for Monday morning flight school. “It really gets me how people today spend so much money on a big wedding,” he says. “I was able to get married for only $20, and we were married for 57 years.” Eventually, Joe landed in Pecos, Texas, honing his skills as a Cessna AT-17 Bobcat twin pilot. Soon, he was relocated to Arizona “to fly gunners in worn out B-17s.” Then, it was on to Lincoln, Neb., where he and fellow pilots assembled their nine-man combat crews. “We had a lot of free time while in Lincoln, so I got to have Marilyn with me there, and that made things a lot better,” Joe says. His scenery changed yet again; in Sioux City, Iowa, the crew practiced missions before overseas combat deployment.

He completed 22 missions over Germany, the fifth of which involved an unplanned landing. “We were bombing Kassel, Germany, and you could see the Swiss Alps, it was so clear,” Joe recalls. “In the distance, we could see thick black smoke, and we all said, ‘They’re really getting it over there.’ Then our formation’s course started to aim itself in that direction, and we knew we were headed that way.” While passing through the intense anti-aircraft fire, their number four engine was hit. Their “Georgia Peach” made a safe landing in Liège, Belgium, which was a U.S. P-47 base. Another terrifying moment came with a premature explosion of high explosive bombs from another B-17 600 feet below them that knocked six planes out of the air. Somehow, the damaged wings stayed on their plane. “The ground crew told us rough air would have been our end,” he says.

Joe has the distinction of flying in the Army Air Corps’ very last World War II mission, a bombing run personally ordered by General Dwight Eisenhower over Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. On that April 25, 1945, day, the Germans knew they were coming to bomb the Skoda Armament Works, and six U.S. bombers were shot down.

Joe outlasted three B-17s (only one had a name) and logged more than 250 hours of combat flight time. At war’s end, he flew the plane home over the Atlantic.

Back at the San Dimas forestry station, his job was waiting for him, and leadership roles came his way: He passed his engineer’s exam to drive the fire trucks, then he was named captain. His prolific career included leading stations in Malibu, Padua Hills (Claremont), San Dimas and Via Verde, from where in he retired in 1977. Joe says he always had a second job, whether it was working at a couple La Verne tire shops or the family’s 1887 era San Dimas orange grove, inherited in 1969. The grove was “taken away by eminent domain when the 57 Freeway came in.” Other days were spent enjoying time with Marilyn and exploring hobbies, including salmon fishing. While Joe did not attend the University of La Verne, his brother Ralph did. Uncle Harper Frantz was a La Verne chemistry professor of distinction. And the Landis Academic Center is named after his cousin Beth Landis.

Marilyn passed away in 2001, and Joe later married his current wife Stemmie, whom he met at the San Dimas Community Church. The two enjoy the perks of retirement, which currently centers around Model A Club activities. And, although it does not offer the complexity of a B-17 bomber, his Model A has straight forward technology that reminds him of a simpler time. For Joe, his roadster is the time machine that lets him relive his history.

Joe Vaniman parks his Model A Ford in front of the historical San Dimas Walker House and looks down the road at the San Dimas Mountain Rescue and Los Angeles County Forestry Service. It was in that building that Vaniman started work June 1, 1942, as a forest service firefighter. / photo by Christian Uriarte

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by Jason D. Cox
photography by Warren Bessant

Every 10 years, following the census, district boundaries for State Assembly and Congress are reviewed. These lines, traditionally drawn by elected officials and other political leaders, usually favored political voting strength. But for the first time in the history of California, thanks to Proposition 11, these districts were radically altered, sometimes irrespective of deep-set political strongholds. This new form of redistricting was pushed forward by the people of the golden state to address long-term incumbents and to bring in new faces who might revitalize the system.

Proposition 11, also known as the Voters First Act of 2008, authorized the creation of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, a state agency designed to re-draw the boundary lines for California’s state legislative and Board of Equalization districts. This 14-member commission started with a pool of more than 30,000 applicants, from which 60 finalists were chosen. Eight commissioners were selected by lottery from the 60 finalists. The eight commissioners named an additional six. These 14 commissioners upheld the priorities laid out by Prop. 11, from the start a politically charged undertaking meant to radically change California’s political landscape. And with the unveiling of the new district maps, there was immediate judicial challenge. “A lot of people have the impression that the Commission basically decided how to do the redistricting,” Commissioner Peter Yao, of Claremont, says. “And that probably is not an accurate description, because the act itself spelled out in great detail what factors we should consider or should not consider.” A procedure included in the process was for the redistricting to be tested by opposing parties. Since the maps were drawn, four lawsuits were brought against the re-mapping of the congressional districts, and in all four cases, both the state and federal courts ruled unanimously in favor of the Commission. “The state court and the federal court looked into it, and they ruled in our favor, saying we did what we were supposed to do—no more, no less,” Yao says. An

important element to Prop. 11 is that it is designed to eliminate gerrymandering and fosters the capacity to promote healthy competition in the new districts. By helping to eliminate unbalanced voting populations, democracy is promoted rather than manipulated. In reference to the way this process was handled in the past in California, and currently in the rest of the country, Yao says, “[Politicians] are picking the voters. They have things backwards. I see the system as being totally wrong.”

Challenges faced by the Commission included discovering what the communities in these districts wanted and needed, aligning those priorities with the redistricting process and figuring out how to produce districts that met those priorities. “The act doesn’t tell us how to do it,” Yao says, “The act simply says, while doing your job, this is what you must consider.” As a first step, the Commission decided to start with a blank slate, rather than taking previous maps and trying to reshape them. In order to gain input from the state’s communities, the Commission held 34 public hearings, traveling as far north as Redding and as far south as San Diego. The public was invited to address the Commission regarding their communities’ shared interests. Yao cites the example of Napa Valley and Sonoma where producing wine is of great interest. “They want to be able to select someone who can protect the water and the land and make the industry a big success,” says Yao. After hearing from them, the Commission was made aware that Citrus Valley has problems with water shortages. “They don’t want somebody to cut off their water supply when they see the large unemployment resultant of the water problem,” says Yao. He emphasizes that a great deal of time was devoted to hearing about this and many other scenarios. While active, the Commission received more than 30,000 emails. It reviewed populations of multiple cities and found the communities within those populations that shared common priorities. The Commission was then able to start drafting some broad areas on their blank map. “It’s a real push-pull,” says Commissioner Jeanne Raya. “Once you have the district laid out, you’re deliberating on the testimony you’ve received. It’s not [a puzzle] because you don’t have pieces cut out. You’re cutting out the pieces as you put it together.”

Other important considerations included keeping communities together that desired to be together, as well as not undercutting the current standing of minority groups in different areas. “When we drew the map for those counties, the major criteria are that you cannot regress from the current status, in terms of excluding minorities or doing anything that could jeopardize the voting power of minorities in those counties,” says Yao. “We had to see that the minority voting percentage was not less than it is today. In the end, our task was not to draw it the way that we chose to draw it, but rather it is to try to meet as many of the criteria that have already been spelled out on the proposition that the voters passed.”

The entire redistricting process is a matter of public record and was open to the public, another aspect of Prop. 11. Previously, the state legislature and the courts, not the public, handled this process. All meetings were videotaped, with meeting archives available on the California Citizens Redistricting Commission website. This obligatory transparency lends itself to the credibility of Prop. 11 and the new redistricting procedures. “We look upon this as a noble experiment because it’s never been done before,” Yao says. Putting such influence in the hands of citizens is a significant step for democracy. Numerous publications, national and international, covered the Commission’s activities, the British magazine “The Economist” being one that paid special attention. “We’re looking forward to the other 49 states seeing what we’ve done,” Yao says. “And I would probably say that a majority of these states, within a few years, will try to do something similar.”

Being a part of such an important process unique in the U.S. political landscape left a heavy impact on those involved, and they are proud of the work they were able to do for the state as well as the country as a whole. “When we get news articles about someone who’s thrown their hat in the ring, I take a post-it note and put it on my map,” Raya says. “The maps we drew are providing new leadership opportunities. I believe in that growth. There should be opportunity for people to think they have a chance in these districts.”

    La Verne’s new Congressional District 32 separates it from previously linked cities in the old District 26. A sample of areas newly disconnected from La Verne include (clockwise from top) Lytle Creek, the intersection of 21st Street and North Palm Avenue in Upland, and Montclair Plaza. At left: 2358 Second St. represents the city of La Verne, which is part of the new District 32. Lytle Creek is now in the new District 8, Upland is in the new District 31, and Montclair is drawn into the new District 35. / photos by Warren Bessant

“I don’t know of any other state that has gone this far in handing a decision to the people,” says Richard Gelm, professor of political science at the University of La Verne. Gelm is the author of “Politics and Religious Authority: American Catholics Since the Second Vatican Council” and “How American Politics Works.” / photo by Warren Bessant

A congressman retreats

After more than 30 years of service, Republican David Dreier, who represents La Verne in the old District 26, announced in March 2012 that he would retire from his post at year’s end. His announcement came after the Commission redrew Dreier’s district, and the final lawsuit against the redistricting had been settled in favor of the Commission. “The whole political landscape has been drastically changed,” Richard Gelm, University of La Verne professor of political science says. The 26th congressional district was Dreier’s base since 1981. Before redistricting, the district stretched from as far west as La Crescenta and as far east as Rancho Cucamonga, clinging closely to the relatively affluent, conservative foothill communities. While speculation resides that Congressman Dreier was drawn out of his district by the Commission, others say it seems unlikely since he has openly admitted that he has been planning his retirement for years. Also, as professor Gelm notes, congressmen are not required to live in the district wherein they run for office. He says that Dreier, one of the most senior congressmen in the country, probably would have a good chance being elected in another district if he chooses to run. Those in the political know say that Dreier has a move yet to be made, but it may be in a slightly different game. Congressman Dreier, through his San Dimas and Washington congressional office spokespeople, declined to comment to La Verne Magazine regarding the redistricting or his political future.

The new Commission tried to draw congressional districts that fit the population rather than the political needs of elected officials, but its success remains to be seen. “As in any situation, you need balance between experience and new blood,” Claremont City Councilman Corey Calaycay says. The councilman lives in a city of Claremont house in Congressional District 27. His house borders La Verne’s District 32, and from his yard, he literally can put a foot in each district. Claremont and La Verne, once in the same congressional district headed by Dreier, are now separate. Calaycay says it remains to be seen whether pending federal issues shared by La Verne and Claremont can still be smoothly adjudicated with the two new separate representatives.

The new District 32, which captures La Verne, is projected to yield an increased Latino voting population and is likely to diversify the district, giving a more accurate depiction of the area. And, while the aim was for balance, it would appear that the new 32nd District may have overcompensated the numbers between democrats and republicans. Only time will tell if this “noble experiment” was a success or not, but if nothing else, the people of California should be pleased to see that their voices have been unwaveringly been heard by Congress.

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by Jason D. Cox
photography by Brittney Slater-Shew

Ken McKinley

Standing four stories tall (more than 50 feet), Vista La Verne is being called the tallest building in the city of La Verne. Come fall 2012, it will be the place 378 University of La Verne students will call home. Units will house up to six students and will be a leap forward in comfort and entertainment technology. The first floor will house 59 students, the second, third and fourth floors will respectively each hold 106 students. On every floor of Vista La Verne, students will enjoy access to study rooms and computer labs, each filled with cutting edge equipment.

With the word out about the amenities and thoughtful attention given to convenience and comfort for student residents, Vista La Verne filled up quickly for fall. But filling the residence hall was the easy part. More difficult will be filling the free time of college students when they are not preoccupied with academic responsibilities.

Judy Moore

With hundreds of new student residents coming in September, merchants in Old Town La Verne are giving serious thought to this challenge. Some are optimistic; others are anxious, but they all realize that the dynamic of Old Town will be severely rocked, whether it is ready or not.

Ken McKinley (above), a manager at T. Phillips Alehouse and Grill, is concerned about the impact a wave of new students might have on the parking situation of Old Town but can see the brighter side. The demographic of the area is changing, but Ken says, in the end, “it’ll help the city of La Verne and will positively affect the restaurant.”

Judy Moore, co-owner of Café Cabo, has a sunny outlook on the promise of more students in Old Town. “I think we’re all excited,” Judy says. “The life they’re going to bring is going to be fabulous, and I think we need that. The students will be great for business.”

Brian McNerney

Brian McNerney, president and CEO of La Verne’s Chamber of Commerce, says, “One advantage is that students can walk to wherever they need to go. The problem is that whenever you bring that many humans together into one area, they bring their cars.”

While there may be some challenges ahead for residents and merchants in Old Town, the overall effect looks likely to be positive. “Any time there is growth in the population, it helps the economy,” Brian says.

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A story that tells how someone beat the odds can inspire. A story that shows the folly of someone who acted selfishly can teach selflessness. Stories, whether written by a novelist or a journalist, can inform and entertain. And the ability to combine these elements effectively is, I think, one of humanity’s greatest gifts. Stories separate humans from the animals. There is no other known species on the planet that communicates through stories.

Of all the ways to share stories, one of the most effective is to use images with words. Comic creator Harvey Pekar says, “You can do anything with words and pictures.” That is why I do not just like comic books—I love them. I own thousands of comic books. I have always loved stories, but I fell for comics when I was 15 years old. A strong nostalgia exists between me and the pages of a comic book. No matter where I am in life, comics will be dear to me.

The majority of modern comic books tell stories of superheroics. The story of an individual who uses his abilities to help others is commonly used to share ideals that many readers probably already knew but may have forgotten. Peter Parker’s adventures as Spider-Man show readers how to be a good steward of one’s fortune with the phrase, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Superman tells the story of the immigrant who not only finds a home among people who are not his own, but also helps others however he can. Tony Stark, the Iron Man, is a medical invalid who uses the power of his mind to design technology that helps him to not only survive a life-threatening injury, but to excel in life. Bruce Wayne lost his parents as a child, but in spite of great tragedy, he hones his mind and body to become the peak of humanity, and uses his abilities to help the helpless and to find justice in an unjust world. In Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” Morpheus, the Dream King, exemplifies the power of imagination and reveals the thin line that separates humanity from its dreams.

These are just a few of my heroes. Countless other stories are told that show readers various virtues in impactful ways. These heroes give me something to strive for, something to hope for. They give me someone to emulate, and not just by wearing Aquaman Underoos.

Comics are a modern mythology with a rich history. This medium and its characters have undergone endless permutations. What remains through the years, the censorship, the ups and downs of sales, is the truth of the story.

I find story to be an art form. As comic creator Alan Moore says in his work, “V for Vendetta,” “Artists use lies to tell the truth.” In my case, writers use stories to tell the truth. Stories are made of words. And someone smarter than I once told me that words are all we have. So I share these words of truth with you now: A story can change the world. I think I read that on a coffee mug once.

Jason D. Cox, Editor-in-Chief

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Innocent looks aid the deception as this fox squirrel scampers across the green lawns of the University of La Verne.

by Jason D. Cox
photography by Danielle Navarro

At first we thought they were friends. They gave us joy, and we gave them protection. We invited them to share our food and our land more than 100 years ago. Today, truces and treaties are off the table. Today, we must defend ourselves against the invasion.

The Eastern fox squirrel, an eastern United States native, was introduced to Southern California in 1904. Civil War and Spanish-American War veterans returned from areas like Kentucky and Tennessee to settle at the Veterans’ Home in West Los Angeles. After having served their country, they brought with them the squirrels, which they had taken to keeping as pets; though some speculate they were also kept for potential meals. According to a June 2011 blog by Lila Higgins, a manager at the Natural History Museum of L.A. County, the squirrels were later released by an “overzealous hospital administrator.” This administrator saw that the veterans were feeding the squirrels their table scraps and, finding such practices to be a misuse of government support, let the furry creatures free.

Since the fox squirrel did not immigrate to this area on its own and appears to be dominating a region to which it is not native, the species can technically be categorized as a non-native invasive species. Often times, invaders beat out native species in competition for resources or have a negative effect on the environment. According to federal law, La Verne biology professor Randy Good says, a species is considered invasive only if it causes human health problems, agriculture or property damage or biodiversity damage. “Biodiversity damage is more of a gray area,” Good says. “It has to be demonstrated that another species in the native ecosystem is being beat out for food or some other resource.”

Fox squirrels have a reddish tinge to their coloring and usually are 18 inches to 27 inches long. They have sharp claws to help with climbing and are omnivorous, meaning they will eat just about anything. They will feed on acorns, fungi, various beds of growth, nuts, a variety of fruits, including avocados. This broad diet makes these squirrels an especially inconvenient invader for a gardener. Creatures rarely follow the rules as strictly as scientists desire. For instance, many herbivores are protein-deficient and some have been observed turning carnivorous. So it goes with this squirrel as well. They are opportunists and have been known to sometimes raid birds’ nests and search out other red meat sources. Lacking resources such as food can often be a driving factor that moves an invasive species to another ecosystem, as the fox squirrel has now invaded La Verne and surrounding areas.

Jay Jones, ULV professor of biology, recalls the early 1990s when he was working at La Verne and does not recall there being any squirrels, gray or red, in the area. Today, he has observed the apparent influx and has noted the peculiar, if not obnoxious, eating habits of the fox squirrels. “Perhaps it is because they are unfamiliar with the food sources available in the area,” Jones says, “but I’ve seen several of these squirrels take an unripe piece of fruit from a tree, take one bite, and throw it down on the ground.” This could be seen as an example of these squirrels familiarizing themselves with the local food sources, but Jones notices something else that indicates the fox squirrel may be struggling with a kind of learning curve. “They don’t just do this once and then move on,” he says, “They will stay at one tree and continue eating the same fruit over and over again, always taking a bite and dropping it.”

Good adds this population increase must be due to lack of limiting factors. It could be a lack of predators or immunity to a disease that would normally curb the squirrel population. He recounts the story of when he and his wife were visiting the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens in Claremont, an area that is preserved similar to how it would have existed 150 years ago. While enjoying the garden, there arose a commotion from a short distance away—a violent squealing coming from ground level and squawking coming from the tree line. Upon further investigation, Good found a fox squirrel with a baby rabbit in its mouth. It seems the squirrel had stolen the bunny out of its den, and the commotion was the sound of the mother rabbit and even a blue jay attacking the squirrel, trying to free the bunny from the squirrel’s cruel grasp. “Squirrels are opportunists,” Good says, “They will eat meat. They don’t just bury nuts.”

Nuttin’ stands in their way

According to studies conducted by faculty and students on the La Verne campus, fewer gray squirrels are observed on campus every year. “This correlation does not necessarily indicate a cause-and-effect,” Jeffery Burkhart, La Verne professor of biology says. “I don’t think the fox squirrels are replacing the gray squirrels—they may just move them up into the mountains.”

Tom Scott, University of California at Riverside biology professor, agrees that the gray squirrels probably were driven out by the fox squirrels. “Gray squirrels are basically inhabitants of higher elevations, of conifers and oak woodlands,” Scott says. “La Verne is a little low in elevation for gray squirrels to be there naturally.” He says that the presence of fox squirrels is not by chance. The urbanization of these areas, the exotic fruit trees that accompany this development all bring with them these voracious critters. “They’re here because we give them the resources,” he says. “In a normal environment their food might be limited, but less so in an urban setting.” This abundance of exotic fruit and garden-grown vegetables is enough to keep a squirrel population fat and happy and is at the very least a contributing factor to this fox squirrel influx.

Hit the road, rodent

As for how to deal with these invaders, there are some eco-friendly solutions and some that are less-friendly. In Claremont, the gardeners at Farmscape Gardens, an urban farming company that provides organic-method maintenance to more than 80 gardens in the Los Angeles area, has dealt with squirrels. “At one garden where we saw the worst damage, we put in cages to cover the raised beds,” Farmscape co-owner Weston Westenborg says. “At others, we’ve used an organic chili-based powder that was moderately effective.” Westenborg notes that squirrels tend to leave larger plants alone, so he recommends established starts or physical barriers to protect young plants.

The state of California’s solution is effective and also quite final. It is against the law for a homeowner in California to trap a wild animal without permission from all neighbors within a 150-yard radius. Even after getting that permission, relocation of the invasive species is not an option, as it would have a detrimental effect on the local ecosystem. Scott speaks strongly against the relocation of invasive species, saying that catching a creature and releasing it somewhere unfamiliar is basically the same as killing it. “It just happens slowly through disease, predators, safety and other factors.” The potential is there for spreading disease. “There are a lot of things that are carried by mammals that are shared, and an animal can pick up and then transport it to this new place,” Scott says. People should think carefully about euthanasia, but if they’re moving an animal, they should make sure it’s not sick before dropping it somewhere else. “Transporting wildlife is not doing the moral thing, and people should think about it hard before doing it,” Tom says, “You wouldn’t drop a kid off at Skid Row.”

Given the inconvenience that squirrels have become, dropping them off at Skid Row could be an appealing option. Regardless, it appears the red fox squirrel is here to stay. The new status quo will have to adapt to this change, just as the squirrels must adjust to suburban life.

Tree hugger for a moment, a red fox squirrel makes itself comfortable as it looks down on scurrying University of La Verne students.

Humane Euthanasia?

Catch a squirrel? The action recommended by the state is humane euthanasia. In an article published June 20 2011, Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez interviewed Rebecca Dmytryk of Wild Rescue, a nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife preservation. When Lopez asked Dmytryk to describe “humane euthanasia,” she answered that you could shoot it or use “blunt trauma to the head.”

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