Public Park Not For Public... For Seniors ONLY

GT to offer community garden at new senior complex
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/05/2009 01:01:48 PM PDT

GRAND TERRACE - The city is working to encourage healthy lifestyles by creating a community garden at the new senior housing complex.

Seniors who live in the apartments will be able to grow fresh produce and flowers on the grounds of the Blue Mountain Senior Villas.

The $21 million housing project, just west of Terrace View Elementary School, is expected to open this month.

Three-foot-high garden beds set in concrete block planters will give seniors the ability to more easily plant, weed and harvest fresh vegetables, said JoAnn Johnson, the city's volunteer director of senior services.

"They may have limited mobility, want to eat nutritionally or might be looking for ways to save on their food bill," Johnson said.

The garden is among an array of outdoor services and recreational opportunities available for seniors at the gated 120-unit affordable housing complex.

The garden will be part of the 2.5-acre public park that will include areas with benches, walking paths and artwork.

A new 7,000-square-foot senior center next to the villas will replace the aging senior center on the site.

Acting City Manager Steve Berry said the garden will be modeled after two community gardens in Loma Linda.

"Cities everywhere have seen a great increase in people interested in growing their own food," Berry said. "It's partly because of the economy and a desire to get back to the basics."

Paww Is Shaking His Head:

OK now are we to define PUBLIC PARK Facilities to be used by specific ages. Should Seniors be banned from using picnic tables and swings at the other parks. Get them old folks off the track in the morning... after all the track is for kids.

Community Gardens Plots are awarded by interest and if interest exceeds the number of plots they are distributed by a blind lottery not dependent on the Class or Age of the Gardener. For all the Citizens to be excluded except for the Seniors living at the Senior Center should thus make this area designated as not Public Park but PRIVATE USE by Senior Housing Residents ONLY.

For the limited PUBLIC Park Funds to be used for this exclusive purpose is yet another demonstration that the Youth, and Common Citizen in Grand Terrace is of no interest to the City Management, as the Seniors are beholding to them for the center and the activities there and thus take any and all bait they are given and are loyal self serving voters. It is time the younger homeowners, and parents of the community cry out ENOUGH. If you call it a COMMUNITY GARDEN it should some how be open to anyone in the COMMUNITY to Participate as it is in Loma Linda and San Bernardino and Other Cities in California.

In other cities, the gardens are set up ready and for an annual fee you get a plot and free water. There are rules about what can be planted, and who can work your plot, and if you are allowed to hire out the labor. If a plot get neglected it is passed on to the next person on the lottery list.

Can you think of a bunch of people trying to suggest that Seniors should not be welcome to use the facilities at the other Parks in Grand Terrace? Just try it.

This smacks of a Steve Berry attempt to garnish favor amongst the Vocal Senior Center Group, which is a counter to the Friends of The Mayor and Tom Schwab Group.

How about getting all the under utilized land on that end of town under the Edison Lines and along the Freeway Fence and develop it for Community Gardens and a Long Dog Park... (All dogs not just Doxies). Then the Seniors with Limited Mobility may be justly offered garden space close to their apartments like Preferred Parking is offered in Parking lots with sufficient parking for others as well.

Had enough of this pandering yet?