LJ 21: Winter Quarter 2009

This would be my first LJ piece I ever wrote under the guidance of the wonderful Amy DePaul. Bear with me, my writing is not up to snuff at all and Amy had her fair share of helpful comments as well.

Will this Paradise be Lost Forever?

Elliot Gonzales was trapped in the break room on the second floor of his Verizon office building during yet another four- hour lunch break from another split shift at work. It was full of computers and other technology. The Verizon building stood haughtily against the brilliant blue Long Beach sky. It was the same routine everyday: work, meeting, back to work. Elliot peered out the glass window of his prison, staring longingly at the freedom he was denied, being held but two floors up from the Earth he loved so much. The civic center consisted of a city hall, and a library that on its roof held the remains of a once-thriving garden, roughly the size of a football field. It too was bound by the prison the cement walls and embankments created around it. It was elevated, hiding the library below it. Evenly spaced cement stairways leading up to the garden from the sidewalk level were surrounded by unkempt rectangular garden plots full of woodchips. These stairways ended in large metal gates, bound by black chains. The park was of no particular geometric shape, its perpendicular edges formed a series of large conjoined rectangles that followed the shape of the building. There were over 100 small cube plots of all different sizes, ranging from 9ft to 100 ft in area and 1 to 4 ft in height. They dotted the outermost edges of the park, sometimes evenly spread, other time their edges almost touching each other leaving no space to walk through. The left side of the park hugged the city hall, which towered over 13 stories above it. On the left of the city hall, it formed a square above a giant outdoor terrace below it filled with broken office chairs and dead leaves from the garden above it. The garden went around the front of city hall featuring a series of different sized elevated cube plots sporadic, but tastefully placed. The largest ones held triangular tiled blue and white fountains that spiraled inward and were surrounded by trees that formed a circle around them. The right side of the park extended past city call, the path closest to it formed a hook that reached towards the building. This single path had 8 cube plots centered and evenly spaced as they followed the curve, Further down, four evenly spaced 20 ft high windows faced each other and formed a square. Their triangular shapes had sides sloping upward away from the building Elliot was in. They were covered in white sand and eroded soil.
Elliot stared curiously at this strange bit of paradise. The homeless roamed around the cement pathways, maneuvering with their belongings in and out as if it were a Pac-man maze. Easily distracted teenagers sought refuge from the bore of the library, helping each other up the embankments to steal a couple kisses before their parents picked them up.

Elliot still standing at the window, closed his eyes as he held his hands out in the direction of the garden as his dress shirt slowly rising up his arms, as he attempted to channel the little energy and hope that life in corporation land hadn’t taken away from him. He chanted magic spells in his head, not noticing his coworkers sipping their coffee mugs in confusion at the young man standing by the window, whispering amongst themselves. “People will think I’m dorky,” Elliot thought to himself, his eyes still closed, “but I can’t just stop in the middle of my magic spell.” So he took a deep breath and continued his intense train of thought, “Long Beach is full of mystical experiences. I think it and it happens. There’s something more to this garden. Why isn’t it being used by the public?”

Elliot opened his eyes, and stared at the little plant he had picked up from the counter. He is a self proclaimed environmentalist and gardener who loves to care for plants such as the one he was holding. He closed them again, this time imagining the tiny plant he held bringing life to the decaying plot that clung to it across the street. Elliot decided to do something. He had often noticed the slanting slopes of the side plots of the library, covered in woodchips, wet newspaper, and sprawled out bodies of the homeless. You walk by and the cool salty sea breeze is the first to playfully hit your face, but the smell of human urine attacks the nose in the exact same moment.

After admiring the garden from above for so long, Elliot made up his mind to go there himself. He and his friend Daniel carefully scaled up one of the 7 ft high fences, their figures casting dull shadows from the moonlight onto the edge of the cement plot they climbed onto. They both stood in awe, marveling at the vast area that faded into the darkness. Elliot tentatively made his way deeper into the heart of the garden away from the smaller cube plots towards the larger ones outlined by cement curbs, containing trees and fountains. He feared that the homeless or gang members would greet him with pounding fists. No one appeared to be up there. “Maybe I could bring my friends up here to just hang out, but it has so many possibilities,” he thought to himself. He passed more stone cube plots with hallowed out circles, covered in fence to prevent plants from growing downward into to the entranceway of the library below. The cramped corners held tiny amounts of soil, the tropical plants still living reached out through the holes in the fence pleadingly, their leaves fluttering in the breeze. The light fixtures that once lit the pathways resemble those of kicked in pool lights. Blue chairs attached to walls hover cautiously above the deep red brick, some missing their backs, others missing their butts. Fresh steaming animal feces hides behind a corner of one of the plots, suggesting they might in fact have company. Windows lie against the slanted slopes, the sand tapping pleadingly at the window where oblivious patrons would be sitting below it the next morning. A lone agave plant teeters on the slope, clutching desperately at the sand as it is softly kissed by the same breeze. They finally stumble upon an open gate, realizing that their dangerous attempt at climbing over the fence could have been a manageable 23-stair trek.

“I, I fell in love,” Elliot stammered as he sighed. He quit his job at Verizon in August 2008 because it was too much of a strain. He now works at a small art and unique gifts shop in the Long Beach arts district which he co-owns with Ivan Jimenez, a fellow Urban Paradise member. It is from the back of this store that Elliot does all the office work for the project, managing the budget to buy future plants, and researching all the information he can on successful rooftop gardens in other cities. Elliot took action and by shooting out emails left and right to city council members and attending city council meetings, causing some council members, like Suja Lowenthal to shift uncomfortably in her chair at his well directed questions bringing attention to the park the city had long since forgotten. The civic center was in her district, and therefore the library and garden were as well, so she would have to handle all the attention Elliot’s questions could bring. He spent countless hours on the phone, constantly contacting the city asking why this piece of heaven was being hidden from the community. He received the same answer each time: “The irrigation was causing leakages, leakages were causing damages. It had to be shut down.” Click.

Elliot realized, it was too much for him to handle on his own. He formed Urban Paradise, and held their first meeting in front of the sloping side plots he had once coveted in front of Ocean Blvd on July 20, 2008. Their first meeting consisted of a group of 8 people: Rachel Bennish, Jessica Bennish, Annie Gholson, Raul Ruiz, Ivan Jimenez, Elliot Gonzalez, and Luz Mack. Cars blurred past, motorcycles thundered by, and the Metro sputtered to a stop right next to the plot. Its passengers cautiously walking with their heads down in an effort to avoid of the perplexed gaze of the homeless, not sparing a glance in the direction of the garden that lay up the cement stairs where a drunken man laid clutching a moist paper bag. Since then Urban Paradise has had information booths to recruit members at a number of Long Beach events including the highly acclaimed University by the Sea held in downtown Long Beach on October 5th. They were also at the 2nd Saturday Art Walk Saturday September 13th on Linden and Broadway earning a total of $70 to go towards purchasing plants. They are a non-profit organization under the umbrella organization called Long Beach Organic, and are supported by a number of statewide organizations such as the California Native Plant Society.

Elliot worked to write an eloquent proposal from his break room, in which he volunteered to work on the space himself. He recognized the extreme budget cuts, financial crisis’s, and water shortage Long Beach has been facing for many years, and for this reason Elliot emphasized the fact he would be willing to donate his time, and not ask the city for any money, funding the project strictly through donations and volunteer work from over 20 other Long Beach residents not affiliated with Urban Paradise, but willing to help plant and cultivate. The problem with the previous garden was that it consisted of mainly tropical plants such as palm trees and exotic ferns which required a lot of water and tending to. The scattered remains of palms trees can be seen in many of the sandy plots. Their stumps stand in memory of the garden that was once was. This caused the roof to leak and damage material on the top floor, and the weight of the soil put great pressure on the ceiling making it extremely vulnerable in the event of an earthquake. When it rains, the librarians have to strategically place buckets around the library to catch falling water from the leaky roof.

To combat the leak and irrigation problems the library had with the previous garden, Urban Paradise advocates the use of native and drought tolerant plants such as aloe, cacti, and agave. Elliot also recognized the number of dandelion weeds growing in many of the plots, and proposed the use “native” weeds which are actually wildflowers like California poppies. He also proposed they plant jacaranda and eucalyptus trees, which although not California native, are drought resistant plants. Urban Paradise has received a number of donated plants, and through the boothing at various Long Beach events, selling vegan cookies and other baked goods to raise funds to purchase native plants from the Tree of Life nursery located in San Juan Capistrano, and the Jack Dunster Reserves located in Long Beach. Elliot also asked for donated cuttings from the community, which was cheaper than potted plants, and easier to transport. Cuttings are when parts of a mother plant, such as branches, are cut and planted to propagate plants as opposed to planting an entire potted plant. For example, cuttings can be obtained from cacti plants and planted to cover a large area of the garden. Cacti cuttings can store water; Elliot planned to start them off and then plant them in the garden so no further irrigation would b needed to propagate them, thus reducing water damage that caused the leaks.
To further combat leaks, Urban Paradise plans to use a technique called thatching in which you place mulch above ground to absorb moisture as well as below the plant roots so that it soaks up the excess water. The technique has been proven to reduce moisture from 50-70%. He also suggested placing plastic bags and discarded children’s swimming pools underneath the soil not only to retain moisture for the plants, but prevent leakages as well. A number of public buildings have garden rooftops, the closest to Long Beach being the Los Angeles City Hall that experienced the same problems the Long Beach Public Library faces. They solved their problem by bringing in celebrity supporters such as Leonardo Di Caprio.

Sandra Gonzalez was in charge of the landscaping at the library, and would have the final say as to whether or not Elliot would be granted a test plot. This was one of the same slanted plots in the front of the library that had drawn Elliot in that direction in the first place. There it laid in all its glory: scattered woodchips, ivy crawling along its bottom right corner, and the spots of random shrubbery that had nestled their way into the plot a little over the size of a city bus. With a well prepared binder comprised of a landscape outline and methods planting, tools available to them, and a list of people willing to contribute to the project and their specified jobs, he was granted the plot. Urban Paradise planned to use the plot to prove to the city that their methods of planting native and drought resistant plants and thatching were effective, aesthetically pleasing, and could be applied to the garden on the rooftop as well. The plot had a series of requirements it had to meet which included: 5 months to construct a well developed plot, watering the plants with no hose or irrigation system, cactus on top so as to be out of the way of children, and the fact that the pre-existing soil and bushes must stay. These plants stand in remembrance of their fallen comrades in the garden above, soldiers in a sea of dirt, mulch, and woodchips.

By this time, Urban Paradises’ numbers had risen from 8 people when they first started to over 30 not including the number of Long Beach residents who volunteer their time, and those outside of Long Beach who cannot be physically present at meetings contribute through emails and other forms of research.
“You know you’re a nine year old girl, you check out a book and you find a little spot in the library to read your book,” Rachel Bennish, one of the first Urban Paradise members, states at their meeting on October 26, 2008, drawing attention to the fact the garden and the library will both need each other to survive. Urban Paradise’s project came to a halt when the city threatened to close down the library. The city instead wanted to develop a number of satellite libraries, and use the main building to rent out. This idea was quickly trounced by the Save the Library Team with whom during this time, Urban Paradise worked hand in hand to save. Little is known about the history of the garden, but the history it does have works hand in hand with the history of the current public library.

The garden was constructed the same time library was built in 1977. The library sits on the site of the previous library, Carnegie Library, which was demolished in 1972 after a fire destroyed a large part of the building, and water caused extensive damage to many of the books and materials. Upon its creation, the garden was mentioned in a number of Long Beach tourism pamphlets boasting about their new library, but only as a subtle side note overshadowed by the libraries new collection of books for the blind and mail delivery service of requested books popular during the 1970’s. The garden park was a place of leisure and picnicking, attracting mainly the senior citizen population. The architects of the civic center called themselves the Allied Architects and were comprised of a number of local Long Beach firms such as Hugh and Donald Gibbs, Frank Homulka, Killingsworth Brady and Associates, Kenneth Wing and son, George Montierth. Killingsworth still has an office on Atlantic Ave. The landscape architect was Sasaki, Walker Associates, Inc which is now under the name SWA group. The rooftop garden is an extension of the street level park known today as Lincoln Park for the statue of Abraham Lincoln that was placed there in 1920. It was previously known as Pacific Park. This land was donated by the Long Beach Land and Water Company for the construction of a civic center in 1905, and one of its stipulations was that a civic park must always be present if the city were to utilize this land. Therefore a gate to the garden must always be open, but due to increased attention from the Urban Paradise project, the gates are often locked, or the ones that are unlocked switch periodically, preventing public to access the park that is theirs. The city has found a loophole in which they state that since the rooftop garden is considered an extension of Lincoln Park, and Lincoln Park is being utilized by the city, there is only a partial closure of the park, implying that one site can be traded for the other. They claim that the rooftop garden is closed due to public safety because of the number of homeless that roam around, crimes such as drug deals and rapes that occur, and fact that any additional weight may cause the roof to cave inward. If it were to be open to the public, could the growing number of people flocking to this public space make it safer for the public and less appealing to those who wish to commit such crimes? The city states it cannot be opened until the roof has met all seismic regulations and all leaks are repaired.
The estimated amount for the cost of the repairs for the entire library was said to be $9 million, which was a vague to which no specifics were given to those who attended the city council meeting. Members of both Save the Library and Urban Paradise sat patiently waiting for an answer that never came. Councilman Dee Andrews of the 6th District contacted a man by the name of Calvin Broadus, better known for his catchy rap songs such as “Drop it like it’s Hot” and his show on E! "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood" to support their cause. Snoop Dogg, as he is more commonly known, visited the library and even checked out a book talking to children. He is even working on writing a children’s book himself, which he claims is no easy task. Snoop sought to draw the attention of the dying library to the Long Beach community in the hopes that they would work to save it, and they responded. He used his influence as a successful Long Beach citizen to urge the city not to close down the library. If the main branch had been closed, Urban Paradise’s efforts would have been in vain.

Under the watchful eye of Sandra Gonzalez, the once-intangible hope and energy that once emanated from Elliot’s hands were now being put into action. Urban Paradise began further crafting their mission statement, and due to the lack of charming weather, chose to focus on education and awareness of the garden’s presence as well as the formation of the garden as a center to represent Long Beach’s many cultural pursuits such as art, music, and even theater to increase community involvement. Urban Paradise seeks to educate children by allowing classrooms to maintain their own plots of native plants. Elliot wishes to educate children about how the native plants provide habitats for animals as well as insects which have long since been moved out of their homes due to increasing urbanization. “Kids don’t see insects in urban areas,” states Elliot, commenting on how their city lives leaves them unexposed to certain aspects of nature, and even culture. Urban Paradise wishes to get the police department involved as well in an effort to recruit kids who have been arrested for graffiti, and teach them “how to incorporate graffiti into a finer form of art,” says Elliot. Alive Theater is a theater group who prides themselves on being “the arguing, beating pulse of an art form too-commonly-called dying or obsolete.” It is their thundering voices and eloquently delivered lines the Long Beach community hopes to hear, as opposed to the deafening silence of the dying vegetation.

“We don’t really have a functioning center of Long Beach Civic Center where everyone can come together to express themselves as a community,” says Rachel Bennish as she stares off into the traffic that rushes past on Ocean Blvd during one of their weekly meetings outside the library. “So it’s pretty, much like a blank canvas,” smiles fellow Urban Paradise member Shelby Sanchez, her eyes darting over to the blank cement walls that separate their test plot from the garden. It was the same walls Elliot could see from his break room that Elliot imagined covered in beautiful foliage. The garden that Elliot envisioned as a secluded area was now transforming into something more than he could have ever imagined. “You can put pretty lights up at night, someone can do a late night or evening or sunset marriage!” Shelby exclaims. “And people have gotten married up there too,” agrees Rachel. The park was often used as a venue for city hall functions in the past state current Long beach Public Librarians. “String quartets and cocktails,” says one of the Long Beach Public Librarians.

“The Long Beach Government has to come to realize that we as a community in Long Beach want this as well,” sternly states Rachel, looking down at the pavement below where her feet dangle. The city has been facing extreme budget cuts, city revenues estimated to being 8-10 million dollars below budget. The project is heavily community driven. Urban Paradise seeks to represent the diverse community of Long Beach in their endeavors. The number of people who are generally involved in environmental issues consist of upper-class white people who are retired. “It’s not reflective of the entire Long Beach community,” states Shelby. “Our goal is to incorporate the whole community,” says Rachel.

It is the afternoon of November 23, 2008. The Verizon building across the street melts away unnoticed into the cloudy gray sky behind it. It is the day of that the planting of the test plot will begin. A series of strategically placed orange taped sections form the test plot into 5 rectangles, providing pathways in the middle for walking. A large group of Urban Paradise members and community volunteers assemble in the area of grass in front of the plot. Pigeons frantically gather near the sudden group of people not usually there, taking flight with each passing car, dangerously darting above their heads. A makeshift table with water bottles and a flurry of fluttering papers stand under a tree.

For today, everyone is divided up into teams to plant in each of the specified areas. The top right and left plots will be forest like, containing an array of native grasses and other drought tolerant unidentified plants. The left is to be commanded by two young girls, one wearing a black Cal State Long Beach sweatshirt, her hood up with her long waving hair covering her face. Annie and Shelby tend to the top right with the help of a Cal State Long Beach Journalism teacher, who helped to organize the press release. She holds a camera, snapping pictures each time Elliot picks up a new plant.

Elliot stands at the center of the group, holding an unidentified plant in his hands, the native landscaper next to him picking at it with his fingers, bringing it to his nose. “Miscellaneous!” someone cries. Annie, in a black beanie with brown antler print, steps forward eager to claim the plant for her section. “I see you coveting it Miss Miscellaneous,” says a woman in dark brown pants, her fanny pack resting firmly on her back. Cars and motorcycles putter along, slowing to take a look at the large number of people the library only wishes to attract. Jerry stands silently in a blue button up long sleeve, his eyes concentrated on the giant agave around which the group gathers. Diana stands next to him in her orange pants, ready to assist him in the center plot that is to be comprised of succulents with Jerry’s agave as the centerpiece.

“It’s going to look silly,” Elliot exclaims as he stretches his arms outward straddling the plants below him in an effort to show how much space should be left between each of them. Plants like these take up a lot of space. “There will be butterflies, there will be squirrels, there will be homeless. It will be a beautiful earthly mix of what an Urban Paradise will look like,” he says as he jogs and hops over the shrubbery into the plot. He changes directions hopping from section to section, explaining how the pattern inside the middle of the large rectangular center plot is to be circular and not to let the lines constrain you. He tugs at one of the orange dividers ripping it and dragging it further down the slope to create a circular shape. Ivan cringes in his direction. “I won’t break them anymore,” Elliot stammers, excitedly proclaiming to his congregation about how Ivan had laid these lines out at 8am. The plot is divided into 5 sections: 2 small rectangular areas on each side separated by a pathway, and the giant center rectangular plot extending from the top of the cement embankments to the sidewalk is taller than it is wide.
“Go!” screams Shelby ecstatically as everyone makes their ways into the plots. Jerry is already halfway up the slope, tugging the agave with both hands. Shelby scales the side of the slope in a flowing knee length daisy print skirt and sandals, Annie next to her chattering excitedly. A man in a green plaid shirt and another in a burgundy striped beanie, his shoes the same tint of orange as the lines make their way over to the plot and begin to attack the spreading ivy. The landscape major bends his feet slightly on the slope, easily maintaining balance in an environment he is all too familiar with, steadying himself in his brown athletic shoes adjusting his gray train conductor like hat as he scans the area. It is in this plot closest to the sidewalk on the right side that they will plant the wildflowers. Hummingbird Sage, white sage, California Native Rose, Wooly Blue Curls, Monkey Flowers, California Snap Dragon, Jasmine, and the golden California Poppies will populate this area.

A homeless man walks by nodding his head in approval. He returns moments later, this time in a grey blazer, hovering in front of the plot watching the work being done, nodding once again in approval before retreating to the plot beside them. Potted plants are scattered in the plot, some in straight lines, others placed in freshly dug holes soon to be their new homes. Others teeter on the slope, while those left on the grass plot bend in the wind towards the plot, just asking for a chance.
Ivan holds a plot of Mexican Heather in his hand that is to be planted in Shelby and Annie’s plot right above the wildflower plot. It will feature a number of native grasses and drought resistant plants such as the Mexican Heather. “We were surprised to find out they were BUMBLEbee eggs,” she says as she stares with her bright blue eyes, pointing at the little clear balls that hide under the grass.

“You can make tequila out of agave,” Diana says as she smiles. Elaine stands up in the center plot with her brown pants and fanny pack with her hands on her hips, “You sure you want to make tequila?” she playfully jokes. When asked what her involvement in the project consisted of, Elaine bluntly stated “I’m the pain in the ass,” as she smiled and made her way back down the slope. It is their job to plant the large agave in the center rectangular area. It is to be surrounded by other succulents such as cacti. “You’ll grooow!” chants Diana as she raises her hands over the agave now surrounded by shiny white pebbles to anchor it.

Elliot, unable to remain in one spot leaves the planting of his plot on the bottom left where the medicinal herbs such as Buckwheat, Alove Vera, Desert Asylum, and Evening Primrose are to be, to an older couple. Peter stands hesitantly in the plot, his arms folded over his chest bearing the Port of Long Beach logo. “What are you doing?” he asks his wife. She turns to him, “Digging a hole to plant.”A man in a light blue shirt and beanie makes his way over to their plot, picking up plastic and other trash. He twirls a Duracell battery in his hand, “You write THAT down,” he playfully commands. The couple strikes up a conversation with Elliot, and they get onto the subject of Suja Lowenthal. “I heard she cheated on her husband.” “All of Long Beach knows that,” chipped in the man in the light blue shirt as he picked up a red lighter, fumbling with it between his fingers as he tried to light it. “She claims to be green.” “So much for statesmanship,” Peter’s wife stated, still digging the hole. “Bonnie wasn’t too happy about that,” he chuckles. Bonnie Lowenthal is the councilman of the first district, and her ex-husband. It is her district in which the library, and thus the rooftop garden is as well. She will have the ultimate say on as to whether or not the garden will be reopened.

Elliot shows Peter and his wife a blue scribbled paper of the layout of their area. Peter’s wife slowly begins filling in the hole she was digging, realizing it was not in the right area. Ivan walks over telling of how he cannot get water from anywhere. There are no nearby hoses and the establishments in the area are not willing to help. Peter pulls out his phone as Ivan leaves. He returns a half hour later dragging a 5 gallon jug of water. “It probably weighs more than he does!” exclaims Elliot, as he kisses Ivan on the forehead. “Hey I’m coming with the water,” Ivan coos at a young succulent. “Give them a lil lovin’!” Shelby calls over. The two young Cal State Long Beach girls stand back from the plot, admiring their work as they twirl their tools in their hands. Their area on the top left side of the plot shares the same forest theme as Shelby and Annie’s: native grasses, Matilsa Poppy, and Evening Primrose.

Heidi, the journalism teacher, is kneeling in Shelby and Annie’s plot, her Seven Jeans covered in a thin layer of brown dust. She places a pot beside her which teeters, and eventually rolls down the hill and is caught by the landscaped shrubbery below. Peter and his wife are now leaving. “This is great progress,” his wife said as she smiled at the plot. “Please do not forget to fill out the paperwork,” Elliot yells over the plot. “I don’t want the city to sue me. The project will go to waste, and I’ll just stay up here drinking,” he jokes. Jerry is jumping on a shovel to dig a deeper hole, a dangerous task on a sloping hill. “Watch your back,” Diana warns him.

A new couple arrives to help. Elliot welcomes them with open arms, “C’mon downnn!” he says in his Bob Barker voice. “Elliot which gate is open today?” Shelby asks. “Shh! The one on the right,” he whispers pointing towards the gate closest to the entrance of the civic center.

“We’ll have to get the drums and the sage and just ask the gods!” Elliot laughs with his hands raised towards the gray sky. “The gods will bring the rain because the project deserves it,” someone says. This test plot is the first step in rediscovering the paradise that was once lost on top of the Long Beach Public Library.