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--> --> Activist Eric Navickas is led away from the Ashland Public Library Tuesday by Ashland police officers Lt. Rich Walsh (right), Malcus Williams and Tamara Camp as Chief Scott Fleuter looks on. Ashland Daily Tidings/DENISE BARATTA Tree fallout leads to two arrests By Myles Murphy and Tamara Henderson Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland activist brothers Eric and Ryan Navickas are in jail today after being arrested for protesting the removal of trees at the Ashland Public Library Tuesday afternoon. The two were arrested by Ashland police and charged with obstructing governmental administration after Ryan climbed into a small tree on the grounds and Eric lodged himself between the branches of a small Laurel tree at ground level. The charges carry $4,000 bail and both were scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon. While Ryan Navickas went easily into custody, four police officers struggled to pull Eric Navickas from his spot, handcuff and haul him away. Before being arrested, Eric calmly explained to Ashland Police Chief Scott Fleuter that he planned to resist being taken from the tree and police would have to physically remove him, which they did. Eric Navickas objected to the city's cutting of trees for the library expansion. He also said the city encouraged violence against protesters since it is going ahead with the tree removal after tree sitter Rick Harris was cut down from his protest perch at the library by unknown assailants in November 2000. "When the city pushed forward with this project they empowered violent thugs," he said. "Now the city continues the violent acts by physically removing me." Police used four officers to pull Navickas out to reduce the possibility of anyone being hurt, Fleuter said. "It went pretty smoothly," Fleuter said. "I think Eric got his message across." Bystanders observed the action while workers from John's Pruning Service continued to do what work they could away from the protesters. Workers began cutting trees at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday - a surprise move by city officials to avoid dealing with protesters. "I don't know what will waken this community if this doesn't - a big blank hole in the middle of the city," former mayoral candidate John Freedom said. "With so much controversy and so many unheard issues, this type of procedure is only further dividing the town." Resident Paul Harmon agreed that the library is too small, but questioned the way the city is going about the expansion. "It's kind of screwed up to say don't expand the library, it's just too bad they couldn't have gone a bit different route, designing the building different or something," Harmon said. "It's kind of funny since Ashland's noted for all of its trees." The $4.2 million project to expand the library has been the center of controversy for some time, with library supporters firm in their belief that the library is in desperate need of upgrading, while opponents question the size and placement of the addition, which forced the cutting of many trees. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing