RE: Re: Fencing vs. quality of life

H* A*

Katherine,

Why should a community garden permit it's hard work and sweat equity
investment for the community be destroyed and degraded by those individuals
who engage in anti-social and quite frankly, sociopathic activities?

A community garden is like a library: their uses require certain behaviors.
In a library you talk softly to enable others to read and research; in a
community garden one gardens or peacefully enjoys - respecting the work and
tranquility of others.  Those who do not want to garden or quietly enjoy the
space  should not have access to it ( a cg is NOT a playground, a toilet, a
place to get high, turn tricks, engage in anti-social, illegal  activities.)

I have found that those who complain the most about elitism when fences are
erected in community gardens  are usually not to be found to clean up after
the feral humans who vandalise them.

 How can you maintain a volunteer gardener base when the love and work they
expend in the garden is used as toilet paper by skeeves? It's like letting
someone step on your heart. 

Get a fence, keep the garden accessable to gardeners and neighborhood
residents who will respect the place. Way to go, Katherine!

Good luck,
Adam 

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Katherine Y. Ness [SMTP:dragonlady@reflexnet.net]
> Sent:	Friday, October 27, 2000 3:24 PM
> To:	Community Garden Website
> Subject:	[cg] Re:  Fencing vs. quality of life
> 
> I would like responses from anyone regarding fencing of community
> gardens.  I visited the Clinton Community Garden site in Hell's Kitchen,
> NYC, a site in Albany, NY, a site in Portland, OR,  and Denver, COL.
> Virtually everyone of their sites are fenced, are tended by  members of
> the community, and are productive.  Our site here in Belltown in Seattle
> is not fenced at all, and after six years of theft, vandalism, drug
> dealing, prostitution trickturning, and threats to life and limb, we
> have decided that we would like a fence.  I am, therefore, gathering
> information from community gardens around the country as to what kind of
> fencing they  use, if indeed they do,  how it was acquired, and how
> effective it is.  We would like to gate as well, at least during the
> growing season, but would still like to leave the garden visually
> attainable by the community.  The opposition is that if we fence, the
> community will feel that we are elitist.  Most of us gardeners at this
> P-Patch do not believe that the community would be offended if we fenced
> off the garden, especially if access was allowed to the community
> members during hours of daylight.  At the moment, the area is unable to
> be closed off at night, which is when most of the nefarious activity
> occurs, and when the folks that inhabit the garden use it for a
> campground, and a latrine.  I would appreciate input from any community
> garden anywhere regarding fencing and other safety and emotional
> security measures.
> 
> Katherine Y Ness
> 
> 
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