At least, we hope so this time

We thought the last word had been said on the ficus tree fiasco

(we’ll leave the phrase ficus fracas for now). But we’re saying, yet

again, that we hope it’s really the case.

The latest news is that the city has decided to box up one of the

two remaining ficus and hold onto it for as long as a year before

city leaders decide where it should be replanted. The ficus in front

of the Balboa Inn will remain where it is, the a last of the row of

trees that once shaded the street, but also ripped it up.

Not to belittle the story at all, but this one has gone on even

longer than we’d like. In the end -- if that’s what this is -- it is

gratifying, at least, to see the city and the Balboa Arbor Society

working together, however briefly.

We shudder at the potential debate about where to replant it.