(FWD) New York Gardens - Giuliani strikes again

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <london@metalab.unc.edu>]

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Hello, everyone,  please take a moment to read this important notice
     about our city, and we hope you will sign the petition to preserve
     these lovely oases.
Thanks - New York gardeners
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With 14,000 empty, buildable lots  in New York City and only 750
community gardens, Mayor Giuliani plans to  auction off over 120 thriving
community gardens in May. This is the second auction in which gardens have
been targeted.

These gardens, many of them decades old, were established with the
city's blessing on abandoned and vacant lots that had often been centers
of drug and crime activity. New York City's gardens are known across the
country. They are studied in our nation's schools.  Their disappearance
would mark not only  a tragedy for the city, but would set a dangerous
precedent for other cities across the country whose garden programs are
struggling to survive.

The Mayor thinks only a small minority care about the gardens.  If he
were made aware of the large numbers of people, not only in New York but
across the  nation, who care about this issue, he will be forced to
reconsider his policies.

Please take a moment to read this petition.  Sign at the bottom if you
agree and forward the petition to all the people you know who would support
it.

If you are the 50th, 100th, 150th...(etc) signature, please also e-mail
the petition to: NYCgardens@cobite.com  For more information about 
New York City community gardens and the efforts to save them, visit
http://www.nycgardens.org/


PETITION IN SUPPORT OF NYC'S GARDENS

Dear Mayor Giuliani,

Community gardens represent one of the best and most all around positive
developments in New York City.  They are founded by working New Yorkers,
thrive on principles of a true democracy, provide solace, learning, and
pleasure to young and old, offer bridges across cultures and ethnic
groups, offer space for a multitude of cultural activities, and turn
neighborhoods and indeed the city as a whole into a more vibrant and
healthy environment.

New York's gardens have set a national example of innovative and
successful public policy and urban renewal.  They are studied and admired
across the country.  Their preservation represents a special opportunity
to set a critical environmental benchmark in this issue and to evidence
foresight for the cities of the future.

We hereby ask that you withdraw the gardens from the auction list.

Sincerely,

   1. Myla Goldberg, Brooklyn, NY

   2. Mark Leger, Brooklyn, NY

   3. Julie Warsowe, Brooklyn, NY

   4. Alan Chin, New York, NY

   5. Jill Underwood, Brooklyn, NY

   6. Ed Gilmartin, Brooklyn, NY

   7. Daniel Kleinfeld, Manhattan, NY

   8. Colin Young, Brooklyn, NY

   9. Katherine Puma, New York, NY

 10.  Katherine Harber, New York, NY

 11. Patrick Boyd, New York, NY

 12. Jay Douglas, New York, NY

 13. David Aron Damane, NY

 14. Tim Albrecht, NY, NY

 15.  Dathan B. Williams

 16. Gerry Geddes, NY, NY

 17.  Anthony Gaglione, Long Beach, NY

 18.  James Pericas, Long Beach, NY

 19.  Natalie Douglas, NYC, NY

 20.  D. Jay Bradley, Jersey City, NJ

 20.  Kate Strachan, NYC, NY

 21.  Allegra Millan, Brooklyn, NY

 22.  Patricia Hanley, NYC, NY

 23.  Terence Ford, Brooklyn, NY

 24.  Priso H. Epale, NY, NY

 25.   Rufus D. Muller NY, NY

 26.  Richard J. Sanchez  NY, NY

 27.  Brian A. Nedvin CT

28.   Anita Johnson, NY, NY

29.  Claudia Waite, NY, NY

30. Timothy A. Bernard, Santa Rosa, CA

31. John Consedine, Santa Rosa, CA

32. Ben Gilbert, Santa Rosa, CA

33.  Anne Atkinson, Santa Rosa, CA

34. Keith Johnson. Asheville, NC

Don't forget that in order to 'sign' this petition, you need to cut and
paste the entire message into a new e-mail, add your name and send the
message.