MEETING TIMES

Hola, guten Tag, hello....So as for our next meeting we're realizing that it would help the project and everyone else to have consistent meetings every Sunday at 3pm in front of our plot on Pacific and Ocean. We will definitely remind you all so don't make any plans on Sundays from 3-4!

We've been getting so much support from the community and in our next meeting plan to talk about setting up a booth at the 2nd Saturday art walk in the East Village, outreaching to the community to bring in more volunteers and supporters, and also collecting plants and art for the plot. Hope to see you all there!
-Rachel and Elliot

PS: If you are interested the next Main Library budgeting meeting will take place September 2nd around 6:30pm in the Library auditorium. This is where the community can speak up and share their ideas and constructive criticism for the proposal of the new Main Library.

We're back in action!

Hello my Urban Paradisers,
It's been a while and we've missed you all alot. If you haven't noticed things had unexpectedly been put on hold for a while because of the city threatening to shut down the main library. We are completely against this idea and have been trying to figure out a way our project can link up to help the struggle against saving the main library. Check out Savelbpl.blogspot.com and spread the news around because more support is needed. Anyways, we assumed that when they said the building was unfit for use, it meant they were going to tear it down or something so we've been in limbo trying to come up with a plan A B and C for our Urban Paradise. The amazing news is that they have no plans to tear down the actual building. This is great news because it means we can continue with our project in hopes of turning the rooftop gardens into a plant, art, and music sanctuary. We have so much work to catch up on and we need everyone's support and ideas to make this happen. Please contact us with any of your questions, love, comments, or ideas at oururbanparadise@gmail.com.
Peace and Love
-Rachel and Elliot

PS: don't you love our new website? I thought you would...share it with others so they can know what's going on

2nd meeting notes

URBAN PARADISE
community project 2008
Long Beach, CA

Minutes from meeting #2, August 3, 2008 at 3pm
Present: Rachel Bennish, Elliot Gonzalez, Tessa Sanchez

Small Picture: Create a beautiful garden in the given plot to prove to the city we can do this. Start building a community project out of this one plot. Finish plot in less than 5 months.

Big Picture: Use entire space on top of the library as a community garden, art, music, and plant sanctuary.

Urban Paradise has been split up into two parts; PLANNING and PLANTING
PLANNING:
-Ivan and Elliot made list of species they are looking for. Thyme.
-Layouts needed.
-VOLUNteers needed!
-Made list of nurserys that need to be contacted.
-CA native plant society!!! How to grow…lots of great information.
-Send links to contact list.
-native plants!! We want native plants first.
-Someone in this community be involved in this project.
-Get other gardens involved!
**Word of mouth is the most powerful. Collect members.**

ACTION:
-Collecting collecting collecting. We can’t plant until the rain.
-Start planting seeds now in your home!
-Seed bombs…little balls made of clay/mud …let them dry and put them in the soil.
-Donations of seeds and $$ . Theodore payne…sun valley non profit. Sells butterfly -mix/hummingbird mix and planting them.
-Free mulch at the sanitations sites. San Pedro…free mulch
-set up trips to different nursery/ sanctuaries. Bring a big purse…check out plans.

SIDE PROJECT: Termino storm drain wants to be restored.
Ongoing community projects.

Next meeting:
just for layout.
Potluck/layout meeting

Ideas:
The corn field project in LA., Idealist.org group…online..ask for volunteers, Guerrilla gardening, Tessa will e-mail them, The LA chapter. (e-mail contacts and ideas), Free plants- garden centers…if we can use anything of theirs. Don’t leave voice mails at nursery’s…show up.
Tessa will work on moli site.

our 1st meeting notes

URBAN PARADISE
community project 2008
Long Beach, CA

Minutes from meeting #1, July 20, 2008 at 3pm
Present: Rachel Bennish, Jessica Bennish, Annie Gholson, Raul Ruiz, Ivan Jimenez, Elliot Gonzalez, Luz Mack

Small Picture: Create a beautiful garden in the given plot to prove to the city we can do this. Start building a community project out of this one plot. Finish plot in less than 5 months.

Big Picture: Use entire space on top of the library as a community garden, art, and music space.

Short Term Planning and Planting
(See what we have, then make a landscape plan.)

A. We have been given a garden plot on the side of the Library on Ocean and Pacific
-We have a deadline of 5 months to make this plot established
-We are not allowed to use a hose or irrigation system; only water in buckets
-If there is cactus it has to be on top away from children
-the pre-existing bushes have to stay
-pre-existing soil will be needed to be treated with compost and mulch (broken up sticks
to keep weeds under control and dirt moist.)
*Keep in mind- Some plants don’t do well with other plants and will take over!! (city will
be mad at us if this happends.)

B. 1. CUTTINGS and DONATIONS
-We need as many CUTTINGS and DONATIONS as possible
(Including GRAVEL AND ROCK)
*Cutting: a piece of plant that looks like it will grow into a plant
*Examples of plants; Jade, cactus, rosemary, sage, aloe, lavender, flowers, and herbs
*diversity in plants is VERY IMPORTANT!
-Plants need to be succulent, California native, and drought resistant.

-Ivan will create list of succulent and other approved plants

-Elliot has donated $40…for things we really need such as Poppy, etc.

-Everyone is encouraged to start composting but the one at the community garden is
available for us.

-The designated spot to store our cuttings will be at the community garden on 10^th and
Grant and possibly Jessica and Rachel’s backyard.

2. TOOLS
-We have access to the community garden’s shovel’s on 10^th and Grant
-make a list of all the tools you have to donate/share
*Ideas for finding cuttings (tool to get the community involved!)- Ask your neighbors for cuttings, use wagon to go to Belmont shores, knock on doors, and get some cuttings from residents, craigslist.com, door to door, community garden, Local nurseries (search google). Ex.Rosemary: cut and stick it water and it will root.*

C. Talking to the City
-Sandra Gonzalez is the person in charge of landscaping at the library and will ultimately
give the thumbs up or down (she’s who we want to impress!)
- Present something appealing for them to look at.
-Elliot needs to present a landscape outline and or plan to her ASAP
- Convince the city that nothing will be an issue (plants)

Things to work on before next meeting Sunday, July 27 @ 3pm
A. Create landscape plans to share and discuss
-plot of land about 35x70ft
B. Start working on presentable binder for Linda Gonzalez
-work on mission statement and cover page
-outline binder proposal
C. e-mail a list of all the GUARANTEED tools, cuttings, and materials you have to
D. Assign jobs (be ready to assert what you want to do)

Sunday, August 3 @ 3pm- Have a complete binder to show Linda Gonzalez

IDEAS!

*bring in volunteers from meetup.com
*bring the 5 different senses to the garden (touch, taste, smell, sound, sight)
*back of shirt says UP with arrows pointing up..uplifting
*Myspace, blog, google calendar
*Procession of the plants from the community garden to Urban Paradise singing “Wick”
*Encourage all volunteers to learn and self teach
*native plants along the Termino greenbelt
* Post a sign at bottom of first plot with info about the Urban Paradise project

contact us at: oururbanparadise@gmail.com