1048 Sunset Boulevard

Mitt Under The Radar

January 25, 2008 | Items of Interest

Saw this on the Free Republic website, evidently an email from a member of the Church whose property suffered damage in the San Diego wildfires back in the Fall:

Subject: Fisher’s Assisted By Mitt and Matt Romney and Friends

( Personal Journal Entry By Victims of San Diego wildfires )

[See Photographs Below]

Remember that big pine tree right in the front as you walk out the front door. It pretty well got cooked in the fire. In fact, Brian Brockbank, Steve Chidester, Chris Odenwalder and Jeremy Dixon cut most of it down the first day we were allowed back in the neighborhood. But the trunk and the stump was too much to handle that day.

Last week a brother in the Del Sur ward sent me and email and said he and some others would like to do something to help. I told him that one of the things on my “to-do” list was to remove a tree stump from my front yard, but it was a pretty big job! He said they wanted to come and do it. I reluctantly said OK, but, “I do not expect you to really get it out because it is a big root. It has been there for over 20 years.” So he called me to confirm and said that they were coming at 7am on Wednesday morning and his DAD might come too.

I decided to go to Los Primos and get some breakfast machaca burritos and orange juice for the crew coming to work on my stump..so I was late in arriving. I drove in from Cabela because it gives me a better feeling entering our street as none of the homes at the top of Luz Pl were burned. As I drove up I looked and saw several men down in the hole around the tree. They were really going at it with power saws provided by the LDS Church.

Then I got a Big Surprise. First I saw Matt, then beside him with chain saw buzzing away was a candidate for President of the United States!!! You guessed it!! Matt Romney was there with his DAD, “MITT ROMNEY”, former governor of Massachusetts and republican presidential candidate. He was actually in Levi’s and a blue T shirt and tennis shoes, with leather gloves and goggles. He was really sawing away at my stump! Others who were there working were LDS Bishop Jim Davies, Greg Davis and 6 LDS Missionaries. Oh and I almost forgot the Secret Service bodyguards were nearby standing guard.

The Mormon Missionaries were there because they have been reassigned to disaster relief projects all over San Diego where the fires burned. They got assigned by their leaders to come to our home at 11372 Luz Place that morning. There were no local news media. Mitt and Matt Romney were just being good neighbors helping neighbors. Mitt was in Southern Calif for some meetings later in the day up in Riverside/San Bernardino.

I can really tell that the Romney’s know how to work and to work really hard. I looked over my shovel at one point and sweat was running down Mitt’s face. When I suggested we stop for a breakfast burrito, I got a polite ‘maybe later, gotta get this root out.” Mitt told me that this reminded him of taking out a stump on the ranch with his father. After it was too much, his Dad(George Romney) said get some dynamite! Well, Mitt attacked that old stump, cutting as many of the big roots as he could until it was well time past for he and Matt to leave for their meetings up north.

I put a Machaca burrito in Mitt’s hand and a glass of O.J. I could tell he didn’t like leaving the job partially completed and neither did Matt. But I knew they had “bigger stumps” elsewhere that day. Just before he left, those missionaries showed up. This is where faith takes over. God is always a partner in a good act of service I believe.

Well, you know how believing Mormon Missionaries are. So these six Elders from the Carlsbad California Mission said, Bro Fisher WE WILL GET THIS STUMP OUT. (You can tell these young men understand the principle of determination.) All were wearing their special disaster relief yellow T-shirts, provided by the church. It was an inspiring sight to see this” mass of yellow” wielding ax , pick and shovel on this stump.

About this time a policeman patrolling the neighborhood pulled up. The Officer took one look at the stump and the tools and said .”you fellows will need more than those to get that one out”. A missionary responded, “that stump is coming out for sure”. The Officer gave encouragement using the indirect method.. Do you really think you can do it. I am not so sure.” The “challenge was laid down”. Officer Smith left and the Mormons went to work. No slackers among them.

Later, Officer Smith came back to check on progress. And there was plenty of it, but still there was a ways to go. He said he had spoken to some other officers about the stump project on Luz Pl and could those Mormon boys get it out. Then the suggestion was made that maybe we could get a skip loader in the area to lend some assistance. A great idea! After the officer left I did observed a tractor going down a nearby street and flagged the driver down. He said he would come over later. He only had a limited time.

Those Mormon Missionaries continued to hack away (I forgot missionaries are not allowed to use power saws for safety reasons, so this was ALL pick and ax). They finally girded the stump completely. The tractor came back as promised. He got way up under the root because the Missionaries did such a good job clearing out around the base of the root. I watched as smiles, then cheers went up from all as that big old pine tree stump popped out of its hole. THEY DID IT! As the hole was being filled back in, Officer Smith drove back up. He

came over to the filled hole a little amazed “Where is it he asked?”. I think I heard one of the Elders say.”Officer Smith, you should have been here 10 minutes ago. The heavens opened up..a light came down and that big old stump was taken up!

Well this is what I have to say, Mitt and Matt Romney, Jim Davies, Greg Davis and those Missionaries efforts were fully rewarded. After all they could do, the Lord was not going to let their efforts go unrewarded. The tractor man came about the time the stump was prepared for removal. This we must all remember. Out of small things proceeded that which is great! This was a memorable day for all of us.