I have to agree that this community board is better suited to
discussing garden issues than personal attacks.
E-mail and board posting, by it's impersonal nature, can unwittingly
lead to vitriolic verbiage that nobody would normally say to
another's face. This has been a problem in my garden for a while and
it has come to the point that, as garden president, I will not
advance community discussion by e-mail anymore. It quickly
degenerates into name calling if the topic is the slightest bit
controversial. I tell people to come to the monthly meeting or if
they can't be there, have someone represent their opinion. I will
only use e-mail for one-on-one communications or important
announcements.
In defense of Edie Stone and Greenthumb, she is running an
underfunded organization that is answering to a very large
bureaucracy (Edie, please correct me if I say something inaccurate).
She has always treated the 6 & B Garden with respect and courtesy.
Our gardens are an example of the people taking over from government
and private ownership and creating a community service. The gardens
are an anomaly in the structure of the city and in a society that
reacts fearfully to community ownership, it's going to be a hard trek
to finally secure the gardens permanently. In some ways it's amazing
that we are where we are now. Every major move Greenthumb (and Parks)
is taking now is a step into uncharted territory. The insurance
problem was an example. I say "was" because I don't see a problem
anymore. Yes, I expressed the garden's discomfort with the handling
of communication but we see it as something that's now in the past.
Edie is on our side, we have to work together or watch another
beautiful part of our city go down the drain of commercialism and
blind profits..
Boards like this are great. Gardeners don't have enough opportunity
to interact with each other in their own city much less with
gardeners from around the country. Let's keep this board working in a
positive way.
William Hohauser
President
6th Street & Avenue B Garden
New York City
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