Community Gardens

With some fanfare PEECO announced "Planting a Community Garden" has begun. Volunteers will tend the garden and provide community gardeners the opportunity to create some thing beautiful."

The "garden" is located 100 feet south of Harrison Home Offices at 2634 W. Meidroth.

Beautiful? How about unattended, very small and partly vandalized. Go see for yourself. I did. It takes "work" to create a beautiful garden.

Hm.

Community Gardens have never worked in Peoria to my knowledge. Years ago, there was a large garden out north on Galena Road. Closed shortly after it opened, I'm told, because people who don't like work thought community meant "it's mine too". Since the County now owns the abandoned former 43 acre Hanna City Correctional Center building and grounds, I suggested a work re-lease program with low risk jail residents becoming involved with learning a trade and creating a community garden carpentry shops, in this totally fenced area. The U of I Extension showed some interest in December 2009 but overall the community is more interested in building museums to themselves, shooting ranges, professional ball parks for themselves but partly funded by taxpayer dollars, zoos, recreations parks with no water or toilet facilities, (think PPD and the $230,000 they allegedly received from the state to put in a small basic shelter, a small playground, two basketball hoops, all seldom used, plus a rather large parking lot on the north end of Peoria Stadium).

Vandalism a growing problem in undisciplined youth who the JSEB calls 16 year olds, just kids growing up. Like 13 year old rapist, murderers and burglars. No, even 8-9 year old doing the same thing.

The "bleeding" liberals think building self-esteem for partly doing what they should be learning to do or doing, handing out trophies for showing up, excuses such as "but they are just boys (and now girls) and ignorance of the "broken window" theory, is the way to build youth leadership.

Sure it is. By the way what ever happened to the highly touted CeaseFire program? Still in existence in Peoria and who runs it out of where? School people I thought should know, do not. I know Carl Cannon runs a successful program out of the RiverPlex for mainly, if not totally, for the southside, but over the years, many other groups have been organized and faded away.

Ask me what I've done, I've mentored, organized an at risk programs, served 3 plus years on the PPD Advisory Board and nearing 10 years on the County Board, served 5 years on a Homeless Shelter Committee, served on the B & G Club Board, Harrison Youth Center Board, worked for years to help clean up the abandoned or dilapidated buildings in the community, talked and instructed and advised kids, visited school, etc.

Not bragging, I didn't do nearly enough.