There’s an orphan bit of feral ground between three towns. Some people love the wildness of it – the way it changes with seasons, the way it has survived more than a hundred years of encroaching civilization. Animals find refuge here. Wild ones -- frogs, ducks, swallows, hawks, bobcats, snakes. And the more domesticated – runners, walkers, children, me.
You can’t argue someone into love; I’m not sure you can argue someone into appreciation. But we can try.
If city council moves forward with its plan for Hahamongna – the bleachers, floodlights, parking lots -- if they fill the natural lake to grow a soccer field instead -- then it will be just one more big green lawn; one of many parks, not one in a million.
Some links here will make the fiscal responsibility plea, and it’s a damn good one. How the city can justify millions of dollars for an athletic field when schools and vital services are suffering. Not a one of us opposes organized sports; many of us regularly indulge. Most of us believe a bit of wilderness and athletic fields can and should share the same city, they just can’t share the same backyard.
Best case scenario from the Pasadena City Council meeting next week? Agree that something doesn’t always need something else. Agree that sometimes no change makes a noble difference.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do for you – nothing. Is that any good to you? Nothing? Mind you, I can’t do it straight away; something is always cropping up. But if I can find the time to do nothing for you, I’ll try to squeeze it in.” – Alice in Wonderland
Please visit other local bloggers to see their thoughts and words of support for Hahamongna:
• Altadena Above It All
• Arroyo lover
• A Thinking Stomach
• East of Allen
• Finnegan Begin Again
• LA Creek Freak
• Mendolonium
• Mister Earl's Musings
• My Life With Tommy
• Pasadena Adjacent
• Pasadena Daily Photo
• Pasadena Latina
• SaveHahamongna.org
• Selvage
• The Sky Is Big In Pasadena
• Webster's Fine Stationers Web Log
• West Coast Grrlie Blather
And special thanks to Barbara Ellis and Petrea Burchard for helping bring this together.
Also thanks to Pasadena Star News for covering our efforts here.
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