Final words on the peacocks
This will be the last I write on the peacocks, unless something else comes up.I emailed many of the people involved, every one of them blamed the other. None of them took responsibility. The doctor sent me a stupid response, not even worthy of publishing and all the others blamed each other, which leads me to believe that something wrong was done here or someone would have the balls to stand up and take blame.
I emailed about seven people at the Discovery Channel, they totally ignored the emails, usually, tv shows and producers are the first to be publicity whores. Not in this case. The people at the farm were totally rude when I contacted them, now they are trying to backtrack, although I think they are probably the only innocent people here.
When I first started asking around, the first response I got was "ask the Herald of you want info." Which was a dubious reply since that is not a way to defend yourself when someone thinks you are guilty. Is the Herald everyone's attorney now?
The only office that did cooperate with me was that of Comm. Marc Sarnoff. I think you all should know that.
The rest of the parties, including one city employee who was involved, told me that if I didn't like it, I should work to change the laws. Ironically, the assistant city manager who gave the final "do it" approval is no longer with the city, he was let go as part of the cost saving measures due to the budget crisis.
I know it seems like a lot of broo haha over a bunch of birds, but if you check the comments on each story here, we have gotten more feedback on these stories than many in a long time, so it does strike a nerve with people. Even the other media in town were all over it and most contacted me, so they all felt there was a story there. Not just us "grapewhiners" as some rude commenters called us (we didn't publish those put downs).
The consensus is that most are unhappy with the way things went and in the future, when the peacocks need to be thinned out, perhaps we should try to keep them within our village limits and try to do it in the open and not secretly when no one has a clue, because apparently most of us didn't know what was up until months after the fact and I think that was deliberate.
posted by Tom Falco at 3:00 PM
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33 Comments:
I live in South Grove where we have enjoyed peafowl for many years, albeit with less controversy than in North Grove. Last year, we had two peacocks and about a dozen peahens. The peacocks lived east of Main Highway and the peahens seemed to enjoy congregating at the Christian Science property. Late last year, all but the one young peacock disappeared. We later "heard" that the Moorings HOA paid to have 16 peafowl removed from South Grove. Included in the 16, was the one peacock we had enjoyed on our street for many years, and I must admit we are all still a bit heartsick in his absence. The remaining young peacock has been MIA for a few months now. It is all very sad.
amen to that
Grapevine:
You have done a most admirable job of covering this Peacock issue for Coconut Grove. Thank you for all of your research, calls, reporting and passion. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by many of us Grovites.
Do you know why so many folks flock to the Peabody Hotels? It’s because the hotel offers quality. But the icing on the cake is the daily parade of ducks that march to the lobby fountain in the morning and then march away in the early evening. It is comparable to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.
Imagine if the Glasshouse does become a restaurant, with alfresco seating facing the baseball field and bay. Now imagine if there where Peacocks strolling near by in Peacock Park (serendipity)! They would be encouraged to stay nearby, because they would feel safe and be fed. It would be the most popular spot in the Grove. They would increase commerce by residence and visitors alike. They would even slow down traffic. They would help to brand the Grove in a most positive way. Everyone wins, even the birds.
Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Of course it was delibrately kept secret. If people had known it would have been chaos, there would have been protests and whatnot, so for anyone to tell you it was out in the open and common knowledge is a bunch of b.s.
The Minority with the Buck$$$, and with influence at City Hall triumph once again, nothing new here. As ususal, the Vast Majority of us, and our visitors lose.
Zero consensus or efficient public consultations. Secretive actions, for sure. Perhaps other solutions were available after TWENTY years of having these wonderful, unique Grove Birds Gracing the our neighborhoods. i.e: diminishing a bit the overall population, stopping the free-food by some neighbors; dispersing the birds else HERE in the Grove, detterrant factors and measures to stop them from invading personal properties exist.. Anyway, Money talks, politicians walk, and the Great Grove Peacocks fly away.
Again, the VAST, unknowing MAJORITY of Grovites, AND our vistors got Screwed. Our voice means Peacock Poop to City Hall, as usual, does it not? CI
Thanks for the coverage
Let me offer a bright spot: I saw a hen and 2 chicks cross 22nd Avenue one afternoon last week in the rain. So, if they stay out of the doctor's yard, our flock may be able to recover. BTW, I love the new masthead!
It might very well have been hush hush because of the Discovery Channel and their production/scheduling procedures. Just a thought. Not everything is fiendish plot.
Though if anything was going to be rounded up and carted out of town, I would have preferred it to be the crazy noisy yard workers that use their noisy gas guzzling leaf blowers and weed trimmers.
Now let's put our minds together and figure out how to trap and put away Dr. Epstein and his gang.
Grape, you have done a great job keeping the community abreast of so many subject significant to the Grove.
On the peacocks, I truly feel that Dr Epstein's (and team's) crusade is one of the most twisted, distorted case's of social conscience. Amazing that this took such presidents than the real things that need to be done to help society and ourselves.
I'll miss running across the peacocks. Another lovely something taken away by the privileged few. May whichever few that escaped multiply soon.
Pity there is no karma.
I think it's important that you continue to track the peacocks because they are on the Grapevine header. They are part of you and everyone in the Grove. Without them, we have lost part of our soul and heritage.
Thank you for your service, Mr. Grapevine.
Harry's idea sounds good but what about the kids that play softball in the park and slide into home plate and a lot of peacock poop?
Tom, thanks for all of your hard work and efforts. I am so delighted and grateful to hear that someone spotted a hen and 2 chicks. Hoorah! Here's the plan, all of us peacock lovers need to stick together and keep an eye out and protect our remaining peacocks. Let's not let this happen again. I think enough ruckus has been created that will help prevent this from happening again.
Signed, Tina the peacock protector.
PS: I have had to deal with my share of peacock presents (poo) and shreaking as they used to live in my backyard. Just for the record.
A Peacock hen and 2 chicks? RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, You're not welcomed in the Grove, after 25 years! People with power don't like your poop during these modern days. "We want to be like South Beach, or Brickell," Zero identity or Cocoanut grove Historic Pride, ZERO. CI
Just another example of how money has power. When we have, for the most part, a corrupt government, what should we expect. Thank goodness for Sarnoff. He is just about the only one who isn't.
Saw a couple of peacocks on Secoffee yesterday. They didn't get them all.
So now we are delighted because there are 2 or 5 Peacocks left in the entire Cocoanut Grove? After 20 years having dozens of them in our streets? Great fighting spirit from us Grovites.. Maybe in 5 years we'll have 10 birds and that rare sighting every 3 months, until the good Doctor and Co. ships them away, again, to Siberia Farms. Face it, the birds are gone, unless we do something solid, legal and concrete about it. CI
I think everyone who is all for the peacocks should go round them up and allow them to live in their yards. Walk a mile in your neighbors' shoes before you crap on them.
Hey, maybe the Dr. could have put up a fence, or gotten a dog. Either one would have eliminated his troubles. I live pretty close to him, and have them in the street out front and in my driveway, but never in my yard, because there's a fence around it. Shockingly effective.
I guess common sense doesn't come with an MD.
I guess that after about 3 Decades of having these beautiful birds here, ---unique Cocoanut Grove trademark---, they suddenly started annoying a few rich and influential people more than EVER last year? One has to wonder whether our traditional bird population grew too fast, or perhaps the rich neighbors with powerful influences at City Hall grew too fast?
hey that guy- so now you are dictating what people should do with their property. What if your neighbor does not like the color of your fence? Is your grass the wrong color for me ?
Wow. Another good argument for health care reform. A single-payer system, something like Canada's with physicians on salary. Doctors used to be barbers, made money on the side bleeding patients, somehow this got out of hand and now they're rich? Level the playing field a little bit.
That might put an end to the bird-napping caper. Or not.
Hey Not so anon at 12:19 pm (because I know it's you B)- go to work already.
I was providing options, not dictating, maybe reading comprehension isn't your thing.
So Carlos, what do you propose? I am all ears. There's still some fight left in me and apparently from a few others. Please share. TC.
TC, I would propose a new meeting about this Peacock issue, at City Hall, Village council,,, this time widely advertised here and everywhere. Again, it's safe to say that over 80% of Grovites and our visitors would like to have the Great Grove Peacocks back. Perhaps in lesser numbers on that particular street, perhaps without people feeding them pet food, perhaps redistributing them to other areas, implementing deterrant tecniques to keep the birds off roofs, cars and personal property, etc.
Let's talk about it like civilized people. A consensus of opinions, not just an arbitrary, elitesque manoever to satisfy what the good doctor and a Few influential rich people wanted for themselves, and themselves only. Let the VAST MAJORITY of the Grove-- who want the Peacocks here, as in the past 30 years,-- opine on this issue, and thus come to a fair, sensible agreement. Carlos.
Sounds like a sensible plan and I am all for it. Please post the date and venue of the meeting and lets rock and roll and get our birds back! TC.
Carlos,
Keep us posted on your efforts to organize the meeting, select the moderator, make arrangements for the venue, fund the notices and your follow-up plan to make sure that the proper authorities act on whatever suggestions the meeting puts forth.
Carlos, get in touch with Martin Zilber, our Chair, and ask him to put the item on the agenda. His email is mzilber@aol.com. If you don't want to do that, any member of the public can come to one of our meetings and when new business comes up bring up a new business item. This goes for the peacocks or any other new business item you want to discuss. Our next meeting is September 17, City Hall Commission Chambers, 7 p.m.
Thanks Michelle. Sure, I'll e-mail Martin Zilber. I didn't mean to spearhead this 'Peacock repatriation' movement here, but hey, I guess someone has to put the time into it, and we need to get a bit better organized to get the voices of the vast Majority of the Grove heard at City Hall, for a change.
There are other issues that really concern me, like bike paths, sidewalks and places to run, and the now infamous Brazilian Pepper!
Kennedy Park is really infested with Seaside Mahoes, and it'been a year of just talk. That and the Waterfront, or lack therof, of course...
I'll be out on vacation next week, but will keep you all posted through the Grapevine here. Thanks, Carlos.
Carlos, I just realized I got Martin's email wrong above: it is martinzilber@aol.com.
Thanks Michelle, I sent Martin an e-mail, let's see when the Grape publishes it.
The Grape is not publishing your private correspondence with Martin.
I am thrilled you care enough about the peacocks to post these stories and hope that a little whining doesn't prevent you from more in the future. Sorry to hear you hit so many dead ends.
I think it's funny that the people who complain here have a name now!
Keep it up Grape!
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