Tom Head, owner of Coastal Tree Service, called into the Journal this morning to give his side of the illegal clearcut that happened last month on the Trinidad Bluffs, at the top corner of the city-owned archaeological site known as Tsurai Village and directly beneath the home of Trinidad Planning Commissioner Sam Pennisi and his wife, Sharon. (The story of the clearcut was featured in this week’s Journal.)
What did Head have to say? To paraphrase: He charged that Sharon Pennisi was simply lying when she told the Times-Standard that the cutting on the Tsurai site was the result of a “misunderstanding” — in other words, not a matter of her family clearing city trees to improve their view of the ocean but the result of a rogue landscaper doing work he was not hired to do. Head rejected this understanding of events in the most strenuous possible terms.
“I did exactly what she told me to do,” he told the Journal. “I didn’t do anything that they didn’t tell me to do. We were told to cut everything on that hillside down to a certain point.”
Head said that Sharon Pennisi contacted him about the job on June 15. This would have been just four days after Sam Pennisi came into City Hall complaining that city staff had stopped another company — Professional Tree Services — from performing the same work, according to an internal city of Trinidad memo obtained by a member of the Tsurai Ancestral Society. At the time, according to the memo, Pennisi complained about the trees beneath his home obstructing his view of the ocean.
Head and Coastal Tree Services started work on the job the day after Sharon Pennisi contacted him. Further contradicting Sharon Pennisi’s story to the Times-Standard, Head said that she was at the job site off and on throughout the day and a half that Coastal Tree Service worked before being shut down by Trinidad City Manager Steve Albright. Head said that Sharon Pennisi was well aware of the work that was being performed. Several times, he said, he went to her door to inquire about the work that was underway.
“She was telling us, ‘Keep going further. Go lower. Go lower,'” Head said.
In the end, none of Coastal Tree Service’s landscaping work had been performed on Pennisi property; all of it was on the city-owned Tsurai site. Head said that Sharon Pennisi had told him that the land he was working belonged to the Pennisi family, rather than the public, and that all the relevant permits had been seen to.
“She said her husband was on the planning council, and everything had been taken care of,” he said. “So I didn’t question it. Do you know what I mean?”
Head said that he had already been interviewed by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, which is currently investigating the matter. He said that he could not speak about that interview, but he reiterated that the Pennisi family was incorrect in suggesting that Coastal Tree Service had somehow decided to clear that section of the bluffs on its own.
“I was called, I was hired to do a project, I did the project I was hired to do,” Head said.
This article appears in The Hornet Whisperers.
Ouch, that is going to hurt their case.
Unfortunately the company might actually have an obligation to confirm that there are no legal problems with the work that they’re doing, the rightful property owner, and the property boundaries. Although, I do tend to think the Pennisi family is the cause of all of this.
Lets see, Pennisi is on the Planning Commission for Trinidad, correct? One would think that he would know what exactly was wrong with this picture, considering he is in the position to tell others what they can and cant do…
Out of touch rich folk. Having a million dollar hillside home on the trinidad bluffs isn’t enough. I wouldnt’ complain about a thing. Makes you hope all that stuff about messing with indian burial grounds ala Poltergeist is true.
I agree with “Liability” in that, the company should know better than to do work without actually seeing a permit – but that’s the least of the problem.
In communities like ours, there is a personal trust level that is, really, a thing of the past in larger-populated communities. When someone assures you that you have nothing to worry about, that person’s word is binding. I’d like to think that a person’s word is still WORTH something these days.
Shame on you, Pennisi family.
“the company might actually have an obligation to confirm that there are no legal problems”
That’s bullshit. If tree trimmers had to investigate the legal status of every job they did, their prices would go through the roof.
Tom’s a straight-shooter. I believe him.
Not looking good for the Pennisi’s. And looking more and more like a prosecutable crime.
Had to listen to Sam blowhard santimonious lecturer on Comminity comment Friday July 9th.
He should be banned from the radio and run out of town.
Sam Penisi is a rich, hypocritical, left winger. There is no way Galegos will prosecute him.
After convicted for this vandalism to a sacred Native American homesite, the Pennisi’s should be forced to pay for a complete restoration and re-creation of the Tsurai homesite as it was many, many years ago.
I think the proper reply to the Penisi’s actions would be to order all of their seaside windows blocked until the hill side returns to the preinvasion status and to require that any sale of the land contain that clause.
They take what is precious to others they should loose what is precious to them.
Having had a sad and unfortunate business history with the Pennisi’s and speaking from experience with people that have done business with them I feel that they are not telling the truth about what happened. Sam has told me things that I felt were borderline before. Several times. So sad. Glad to not have anything to do with people of his ilk, and sorry Trinidad has to deal with the likes such as both of them…
The Pennisi’s are selfish, self-absorbed, spoiled, greedy rimdwellers. They have seen to the desecration of an ancient Native American village site and for that they will have to answer to the Tsurai ancestral spirits.
On top of desecrating spiritual and cultural lands, they have also destroyed one of my favorite hiking spots. It was so disturbing for me to see the destruction that they inflicted on the vegetation and landscape, that I was haunted by its images during my sleep.
I think the Pennisis need to enjoy another view–from the inside of jail cells! They do not deserve to enjoy any ocean views from their home, because as one writer said so eloquently, above, “They take what is precious to others they should loose what is precious to them.”
Sam Pennisi needs to resign from the Planning Commission. He cannot be trusted to carry out the laws of the City of Trinidad, when he, himself, has violated the law and trust of the community.
For those of you who do not know, the Pennisi’s house is a 2-story eyesore that looms over the trail and beach. They have constructed one of the tallest homes in Trinidad and their house also has the highest floor-to-lot area ratio in Trinidad. If you walk by their house on the Wagner Street trail (by the way, its the ugly house with a yellow kayak and lots of junk under their deck, you will see that they had plenty of ocean and harbor views from their oversized 2-story house. But that was not enough for the Pennisis–they had to have more and desecrate a treasured, sacred piece of coastal land for their own gain.
SHAME on you Pennisis–of course, you probably don’t know the meaning of the word “SHAME”!
Tom Head of Coastal Tree service has cut trees at my home in Arcata. I found him to be very meticulous in making certain that the trimming/cutting was exactly what I wanted. He and his crew did excellent work and, unlike many similar companies, cleaned up after so there was nothing else for me to do. My neighbors have seen his work and asked for his business card. I’ve hired Tom twice and will do so again.
Also, any property owner with trees knows that you never, ever let someone cut without being around to make sure you cut ONLY the trees you want cut. Period.
This is a huge embarrassment to the City of Trinidad and a tragedy for those who have worked so hard to treat this sacred area with respect. There is no restitution sufficient to undo the damage that this selfish act has caused.
Looked at it up close today. The location is literally a Crime Scene and somebody had better be held responsible.
If, as it appears, the Pennisi’s are responsible, they should be fined heavily, jailed if possible, and sued civilly for actual and punitive damages. The fact that Pennisi is a Planning Commissioner is just the icing on the cake. If anyone should know better, it would be him.
The fact that he apparently tried to get one company to do this cutting, then allegedly stormed into City Hall complaining about the trees on city property that were blocking their view (Oh the Humanity!) and then apparently went right out and got another company who in fact did cut the trees on city property that were blocking their view, well it seems to me that this sure makes for a compelling timeline.
AI mean are we really supposed to believe that after one company hired by the Pennisi’s to cut these trees was stopped from doing it, and after Sam Pennisi showed up at City Hall ranting about the City failing to cut the trees that were blocking their precious view, that it was really just a “coincidence” and a “misunderstanding” that the next company hired by the Pennisis to do some cutting ended up cutting down the trees in the exact area that was blocking that all-important view?
If you believe that, stop on by and see me here at Bridges R Us, because I’ve got some great deals for you!
Although Pennisi is guilty of punishable criminal and civil crimes, I think Coastal Tree Service should have refused to denude a potentially unstable hillslope, knowing, as they should, that de-vegetation destabilizes hillsides. They violated a standard of care in the business and share a small, albeit a very small, share of the liability, in my opinion.
For what it’s worth, I hired Tom a couple years ago to trim some trees. He was very meticulous, right down to individual shrubs and branches. He made sure that he cut what I wanted him to cut, and preserved what I wanted him to preserve.
Note to all readers: I just found out that Sharon Pennisi’s last name is NOT Pennisi. That is her husband’s last name. Her real name is Sharon K. Ferrett and she is (or was) a College Professor, Advisor and Dean at Humboldt State University.
The news media should be using her true name so people know what she is really up to. I suspect she may be hiding behind her husband’s last name to protect her professional career and image from the truth that she is a party to a criminal act.
NOTE TO SHARON K FERRETT: It seems to me what you are really “VERY, VERY, VERY sorry” for is the fact that you and your husband were caught red-handed destroying City property and a cultural and spiritual Native American village site.
DEAR READERS:
There will be a Trinidad City Council meeting this Wednesday night at 7pm at Trinidad Town Hall re: the Tsurai Bluff issue. You may want to attend.
Ken Miller may imagine that he’d have a higher “standard of care in the business,” but I’d rather call Coastal Tree Service.
Meh. Oh well. Time to put the whole thing behind. Maybe they can open up a bar or something down there, now that the land is cleared.
When I asked about this situation, an Indian friend said, the rich whites will come forward with funds to support the lawsuit and once again the Indians will be told to “adjust”. He said, the Indians feel like they always get the short stick.
Sharie… the “Indians” own a big chunk of Trinidad, if they want something done, they have the means to do it.
If you are speaking of the descendants of the Yurok village of Tsurai, they may not be as financially endowed and your friend may have a point.
The city should step up, the city manager and the county DA.
To “Bob” If you have nothing constructive to add to a felony investigation, why add your small minded comments.
I feel for the construction company. And I almost buy their story. HOWEVER, they ran over a sign that clearly belonged to the city that stated No Vehicles Beyond This Point in order to get to the site they cut. They would have to be complete idiots to believe the Pennisi’s had this sign put up on their private property. Either that, or they had to be complete idiots not to ask to view the permits allowing them to cut in that area. They are liable and should be held accountable as well. Although they did not have the same motives, they were negligent in not ensuring they had the right to cut the land. Maybe next time they will be a lot more careful.
Case closed. Some dude named “Whatever” has it all figured out.
Nobody is mentioning that the Wagner Street trail’s entrance markers have been removed by other Wagner Street residents. The city is apparently unwilling to fight its selfish and wealthy residents, who think they are entitled to turn a public commons into their private back yard.
Having worked as a brush monkey, chipper stuffer for another tree service, my first second and last feelings about this story is that the people who hired the tree service are completely full of crap. A lot easier to have everything cut down and pay a fine than to go through a permitting process that would almost certainly not go their way. When these guys bid work it is very specific and detailed. Top this tree, remove that one, take those three back branches off of the pine in the corner by the greenhouse. And don’t hurt my wife’s favorite bush under that big redwood that has to come completely out. What’s the story, they were supposed to clear a few feet for the view but took out two complete acres? That’s a pretty big difference in scope and price.
shame on mr. pennisi and the ferrit. ask them about their illegal second unit [basement} in their adjacent rental . off the planning com. how about out of town…