Unkempt Trees Pose Serious Threat

Unkempt Trees Pose Serious Threat
By Carlos C. Franco
Oceanside, California
07/16/07

Oceanside has had some good press in recent years for it's efforts in trying to reduce crime, bring in new business (possible new Chargers stadium, waterfront resorts, revamped boardwalk) and just overall exorcise its run down salty image. But a in a visit today to one of its community gardens, it became apparent that someone has been sleeping on the job.

 The Ivey Ranch community garden off of Mission Ave, is a great place to plant your own organic crops, trade gardening tips with fellow patrons, or just spend your lunch hour marveling at all the different types of flowers that this climate can bring to bear. However, today at the garden, was only good for thanking your lucky stars that you didn't get a tree branch to the back of the head while gardening. Having a plot at the garden (the one directly under the fallen tree branch) and spending about 8 hours a week there (tending to weeds and teaching my group of developmentally delayed adults vocational landscaping skills) I have come to notice some possible things for improvement, mainly the trees. My group is one of about 4 that share the garden plot for educational and recreational endevors, and it has come to my attention (in a potentially deadly, and leafy way) that The City of Oceanside might do well for it's citizens and image, by investing some needed funding and attention to keeping it's recreational lands in safe operating order.