Organic Gardens

In his recent interview with Times writer Jill Gottesman, Curtis McCray, outgoing Cal State Long Beach president said, “. . . what we have to focus on are the critical state needs: economics, environment, health and education.” At the same time he is willing to demolish the organic garden, which has been on university grounds for the past 20 years, and replace it with an unneeded parking lot.

Would it be economical to bulldoze the area and pave it?

Would it benefit the environment to destroy the only strictly organic vegetable garden in the area?

Would it improve the health of some of the homeless and needy to deprive them of the hundreds of pounds of surplus vegetables donated to Food Finders by the gardeners?

Would it contribute to education to eradicate a place where groups of visiting children have learned how vegetables grow and how we must protect the environment? Or where artists, photographers, entomologists and biologists can do field work?

Outgoing President Bush recently saw fit to grant pardons to six controversial figures. Wouldn’t it be great if outgoing President McCray would grant a reprieve to the garden so it can continue to be a microcosm of the community, a place where people of all ages, races and occupations are harmoniously joined by the common bond of growing vegetables organically in an increasingly hazardous environment?

LOIS CORKERY

Long Beach