Glenn and Tony,
Please stop imagining my (anyone's) hurt feelings, or talking for
me-others, to fuel this nonsense feud.
To save your guess work, my positions are shown below.
I want the park maintained and improved.
Many "Friends" and many unaffiliated volunteers help do that.
Those who do good work, with or without personal agenda, have my thanks.
In the matters of removing litter, action not intention, gets my
attention.
My gratitude extends to those I know do the work, and those who do it
without seeking credit or attention.
In my travels through life and our neighborhood, I am often awed by the
numbers and names of people doing good work.
There are more people contributing, and often many who are unexpected or
not credited.
I have enjoyed many happy surprises in discovering some of the people who
improve our quality of life and this neighborhood.
I do not want to see to many permanent alterations.
I was opposed to the Basketball court expansion.
I remain opposed to many printed proposals including:
Moving Nell
Moving the Memorial Stone
Adding a Dog Park
Adding a Storage Shed for the "Farmers" of the weekly market.
Removing healthy trees
I am okay with the using the Park as a Playground for our youngest
children.
This was, after all, Clark's stated goal.
And it fits with my beliefs and desires.
But I don't think it should be reduced to a Recreation Center.
I like it as an Urban Oasis.
I like it as a place to find quiet and solitude, and as a place to bond
friendships and families, and to walk dogs (on leashes and with
poo-bags).
I don't want Clark Park overused or abused.
I do want to see better, and more diverse uses of our existing Rec
Centers.
No one can "humiliate" me but myself.
I don't cede that power to Tony or Glenn or to any Community
Organization.
I manage quite well on my own.
I don't mind occasional self congratulations.
I believe that many Volunteers need
a sincere invitation
some recognition and thanks
a sense that they are not "Chumps" but
part of a surprisingly large volunteer force.
I choose to say some of what I do to encourage others to speak up or join
in.
I do not let the dismissals of people who call me vain or attention
seeking bother me.
I am healed and encouraged by those who are moved to work beside me or
who let me know, often off-list, that they have contributes in some other
way.
I also believe that there is value in Anonymous donations.
Sometimes it lets us imagine who "Anonymous" is and lets us think well of
people in general.
It also lets "Anonymous" choose contacts, instead of being added to the
list of those who are called upon to do, or contribute to, everything.
I like Tony and his writing style.
I value many of Glenn's writings.
I read both with some skepticism.
I don't believe Tony has or wants the "representative" power that Glenn
assigns him.
I also don't believe that FoCP is any where near as inclusive as Tony
claims.
Further, trying to exclude me is like trying to sweep water up hill.
I am not afraid to tackle problem spots or people.
I don't have the time to make any consistent, organized commitment to the
Park, but I pick up litter on my walks through the park, and I jump in,
vigorously, if I see a need and fell able to make a contribution of words
or money. And I try to honor the other commitments that I make.
I encourage all to pursue volunteering in the areas that hold interest
for them.
In this way, our community will be better served an with better spirit.
All the best in 2008 and beyond.
Liz
On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:42:12 -0500 "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
writes:
Folks, this is an important local issue.
These local groups like FOCP and SHCA pretend that they are a stand in
for a non existant village government. The list just saw West flex his
power with a warning to Liz about the catch-22 she may find herself in.
If I told someone to "have a wonderful trip over the river on the Pine
St. bridge ," all of you would know my meaning. Of course, I could
convince a stranger that I was trying to be sweet.
How does one work with an FOCP "representative" other than West? West is
the one who decides whom may participate in discussions with the FOCP and
whom may not. He has made that perfectly clear on numerous occasions on
this list and in person.
Lot's of former board members from these groups have told me stories that
were the same as my experiences. If someone is disagreeing with the
inner circle in these groups, they are essentially punished, excluded and
there is an organized attempt to humiliate them.
The only way to interact with the organization is to kiss up to their
leaders. But this hurts the whole community.
When I tried to propose the Clark park farmer's market to the community
via a spot on the FOCP agenda, I tried the accepted process. I
approached the President face to face and politely asked for an
opportunity.
He told me that "the community was opposed." There was no public meeting
and no agenda spot. This was my first experience with the organization
and I saw how incredibly destructive these associations have been to this
community.
The only reason there is a farmer's market at Clark park was because UCD
decided that it was good for gentrification. The community was deprived
the opportunity to hear from a community volunteer bringing a proposal to
them at a public meeting. The good folks starting the farmers' markets
wanted these as a benefit to the community and farmers, not for support
of the Penn "brand."
How many times has this type of abuse of power occured and been cloaked?
How many of our neighbors have similar stories?
Isn't it a bit ironic that the most destructive organizations in this
neighborhood were then chosen by our partners Penn to speak for the
community, to rubber stamp the Penn agenda?
The pretense that outside groups are allowed to send "representatives" to
these civic associations is such an "in your face lie" that I really
wanted to explain how these groups work for those of you fortunate enough
to have never been bullied by them.
FOCP leaders are cutting secret deals about control of our park. Ask the
basketball players, if they were part of the decision to rip up their
court and let it lay in ruins until their basketball groups GO AWAY. Ask
the volleyball players if they were invited to send a representative of
THEIR CHOOSING to the park A redesign planning committee.
Then you will know the contempt in these self congratulatory claims of
inclusiveness spewing out from the leaders in these organizations!
Thanks for considering this problem,
Glenn
