We are about to undertake an exciting new project in South Orange, thanks to the creative suggestion of a resident. Back in April, I was contacted by a resident who lived in the Mews and he was looking for a place to create a community garden. He suggested the open space across the street from the Mews, between the river and Church Street. It seemed like a great idea, so I scheduled some time to meet him, along with Village President Newman to walk the site and explore the options. While there are a few challenges (i.e. location of a water source, ability for people to park/drop-off materials nearby, wetness of the soil), it immediately struck us as a fantastic idea with huge potential. There are many residents living in apartments or townhouses, without access to a yard. There are also many residents living in homes with shady yards or too many animals to sustain a garden. As a result, a Community Garden has the potential to attract residents from all over town and give them access to gardening, while fostering a true community spirit.
Unfortunately, the initial resident ultimately decided he had too many other commitments to devote the appropriate amount of time to spearhead this effort. However, we have decided to try to move the idea ahead and have scheduled an initial Public Meeting on Wednesday June 24 at 7:30pm in the Baird Center to gauge public interest, since obviously this garden will only succeed if residents determine it is something they would like. I urge you to come out, offer to get involved and help bring this idea to reality!
