RE: L.A. Garden Shut Down .... a local perspective

**"Ben Swett" b*@windowbox.com**

My business is a block from the "Alameda Farm," which we supported when it
was a legitimate, sanctioned community garden.   We watched as the
revolutionary fervor of the "new leadership" alienated all possible allies,
including the non-profits that support community gardening in LA.   Their
actions created some great images that stirred the imaginations of many who
had never heard of community gardening (not just Darryl Hannah), but they
also damaged the cause by damaging our credibility.  In the future, it is
going to be much harder to say "we are respectful and appreciative, and
after our lease is up, we will go" and have anyone believe it.

For more on the story, check out LA's "Alternative Weekly" which has had
pretty good coverage.   Here's a link to their latest installment.   
http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/fallow-dreams/13785/     

The cliff notes version:  "It became a movement for absolutists, then the
celebrity tree-sitters arrived (and) the spectacle factor skyrocketed.
...(Developer) Horowitz said 'They sued the city and sued me as thanks for
letting them use the land for free for 12 years. I thought the gardeners'
conduct completely deteriorated after that. Why should I reward that kind of
conduct?'"

There is also a local NPR show that did a piece on it:
http://www.kcrw.com/cgi-bin/db/kcrw.pl?show_code=ww&air_date=6/13/06&tmplt_t
ype=Show 

For many who have dreamed of raising consciousness of community gardening in
Southern California, seeing a (former) garden on the front page was sort of
ironic, but mostly sad.

Yours,

Ben

Ben Swett, CEO
Windowbox.com
3821 S. Santa Fe
Vernon, CA  90058

         www.Windowbox.com
        "Plants to the People!" 

-----Original Message-----
From: community_garden-admin@mallorn.com
[community_garden-admin@mallorn.com] On Behalf Of
zebra136@hotmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 7:44 PM
To: community_garden@mallorn.com
Subject: [cg] L.A. Garden Shut Down; 40 Arrested

This story was sent to you by: zebra136@hotmail.com

--------------------
L.A. Garden Shut Down; 40 Arrested 
--------------------

Protesters are forcibly taken from the site that had flourished for years in
a poor area. The owner refuses the city's $16-million offer.

By Hector Becerra, Megan Garvey and Steve Hymon
Times Staff Writers

June 14 2006

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies shut down a 14-acre urban farm in
South Los Angeles on Tuesday, arresting more than 40 protesters as they
cleared a plot of land that has been the source of discord and controversy
in the community for two decades. 

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-me-farm14jun14,0,5837633.s
tory?coll=la-home-commentary 

Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

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