Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Tree Climbing Club’s first meeting of the semester was cut short by police, who told group members they weren’t allowed to climb trees at Lawrence Parks.
An e-mail announcing the club’s meeting that was sent out on list serve reached a wider audience than Jon Simon, Tree Climbing Club vice president, realized.
When time came for the first climb of the spring on March 15, a police officer and Fred DeVictor, a Parks and Recreation representative, showed up at Veteran’s Park, 19th and Louisiana streets. The Lawrence Police Department was contacted by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation, which was contacted by someone else, apparently worried about the club’s meeting.
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The Tree Climbing Club’s first meeting of the semester was cut short by police, who told group members they weren’t allowed to climb trees at Lawrence Parks.
The police officer ordered Simon, Lenexa sophomore, who was climbing barefoot and by then 20 feet into the tree, to immediately come down. Simon’s friend, Aaron Chavers, Lenwood junior, watched.
“Apparently cops don’t want us to climb trees,” Chavers said.
Like many kids, Simon began climbing trees in his youth. Unlike most adults, however, Simon never stopped. That’s why he and President Andrew Flanery started the Tree Climbing Club last fall.
Simon said he was planning on teaching basic beginning tree climbing moves, such as the boost, the jump and grab, the hanging vine and the rolling dismount.
“We were half kidding about that, though,” Simon said in regard to the rolling dismount.
DeVictor said he and the police officer intervened because it was a matter of safety, as well as a liability issue.
“You needed to contact Lawrence Parks and Recreation first,” DeVictor said. “But if you called, you couldn’t get permission.”
DeVictor told club members that tree climbing was unsafe and suggested they use ropes or harnesses.
The police officer and DeVictor suggested the Tree Climbing Club hold its meetings on the KU campus instead.
Simon said he has already climbed many trees on campus, such as the ones in front of Fraser Hall. He said the Tree Climbing Club wouldn’t give up and would look for trees that would be legal to climb.
Kansan staff writer Bethany Bunch can be contacted at bbunch@kansan.com.
—Edited by Ashley Thompson
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Comments
Police frustrate tree climbing club
The fact that there is a liability issue with climbing trees is what's wrong with this country today.
If you climb a tree and fall, it's not the tree's fault, or the park's fault, or the city's fault, or anyone's fault but your own. It's sad that our court system doesn't recognize that.
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