Ceremony bids farewell to a friend

Photos by LISA ADAMS/T.O.A. COMING DOWN-Above, Friday evening, Thousand Oaks City Councilmember Claudia Bell-de la Pe¤a, left, offers sage to the tree's spirit while Black Bear, a Chumash spiritual leader, preforms a ceremony to honor the centuries old oak tree. The oaks was removed from the front of City Hall Saturday. Below, arborist David Mortimer watches his crew take it down.