I would like to state for the record that I have no ownership interest
in Lily's bar, as stated by Mr. Honigman. I also do not send out email
updates about this or anything else on a regular basis. I am as
concerned as you all must be by the delay in information sharing that
has taken place around the issue of insurance, but it has taken some
time for the City to negotiate any sort of possible solution that works
for gardeners. The work is being done at the level of the
Comptroller's office and the City Legal Department so GreenThumb has
only been able to gently prod but cannot control the timetable of the
resolution of this issue. It is more important for me to provide
accurate information than to respond quickly. If GreenThumb had sent
out a mass mailing stating that the insurance policy was no longer in
effect with no information as to the meaning and potential liabilities
caused by the situation I think it would have been more unsettling and
uninformative than for the gardeners to hear about the sitution from
NOSC, the insurance provider. Nevertheless, I appologize for the
confusion and hope that a clear, informative mailing can be sent out
soon.
-----Original Message-----
From: Adam36055
To: StoneEdie; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Plantlot;
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 12:36:26 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Subject: Edie Stone, Director of NYC Greenthumb Speaks....Finally.
This is Adam Honigman speaking as an individual community gardener.
I must say that I am delighted that the NYC Community Gardening
fraternity has finally been informed by Ms. Stone, Director of Green
Thumb, about our new insurance status.
However, the period between when Ms. Stone knew about NOSC's
discontinuation of our insurance, in July/August of this year, and
mid-October, when she finally decided to let us all know, albeit with
some prodding from concerned and vocal community gardeners, is
extremely troubling.
Again, this observation is by me, as an individual community gardener.
NYC's community gardeners are out there, keeping our community gardens
clean, safe and welcoming, shovelling snow, hauling garbage, running
events, doing alot of stuff that makes our gardens and Green Thumb look
good.
The very least I would like, as an individual gardner would like is
for the Green Thumb, the community gardening organization that I'm
involved with to, pretty please, disseminate information on a key issue
like insurance to its gardeners, in a timely matter.
I don't like hearing about an adult matter like public space liability
insurance the way teenagers used to learn about sex - via the
grapevine.
To not have received timely information on our community garden
liability insurance seems, on the face of it, to be awfully negligent
on the part of Greenthumb. Of course, I'm speaking as an individual
here. Others may be less concerned....
As an individual, I like making Green Thumb look good - they gave me a
plaque and all, (see, http://www.clintoncommunitygarden.org ) and I am
a longtime supporter of NYC Parks Gardens because I believe that under
Parks our gardens will always be accessible to the communities we serve
- not private garden clubs functioning under the community garden
label.
However, timely communication on key safety information, like
liability insurance coverage, is essential.
As an individual, I got more timely events information from Lily's
Bar, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, ( an establishment that Ms. Stone has or
had an ownership interest ) than I do, or the Green Thumb garden that
I'm associated with got, on its liability insurance.
A matter of priorities, methinks.
Again, speaking as an individual gardener, it seems that community
gardening organizations, like Gateway Greening in St, Louis, or
Seattle's P-Patch, have managed to do a better job, especially in
organizing and keeping gardeners informed of issues essential to them,
than we have managed to do here in NYC. And Gateway Greening and
Seattle P-Patch Publications manage to reach me, via snail mail, faster
and in a more timely fashion than those from Green Thumb.
I know that we involved in community gardening in NYC can do better -
and perhaps in the future, will.
I know that Ms. Stone and NYC Parks Green Thumb has worked very hard
for NYC's community gardens and gardeners - this gardener, again,
speaking as an individual, just believes that this city's gardeners
deserve a bit more transparency in governance and communication, from a
community gardening organization funded by our federal tax dollars, via
federal block grants, please.
Happy Thursday,
Adam Honigman,
speaking as an individual,
Volunteer, Clinton Community Garden
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