At the registration location, Ralphs Grocery on Manchester in South LA, just before the tree-planting.  I’m with Michael Espinosa, who runs the Los Angeles Community Beautification Grant program.  He also attended the tree-planting back in January.  He’s been instrumental in all the projects I’ve done in the area.  Back in 2006, my block club and I applied for a CB grant and I was project director on it when we won.  Michael taught me a lot about the opportunities the city makes available to communities and he’s been supportive of all our efforts here.

Here the Los Angeles Conservation Corps is giving us a demonstration on how to plant the trees.

That red instrument weighs 30 pounds and is used to push the stake into the ground.

Novelist Leonard Chang come to help us.  Here he’s breaking up the dirt in the tree-well with a pick-axe.

Film executive Karen Peterkin helps me shovel out the tree-well.  It was more fun than it looks! 

Eriq LaSalle helped us out and worked  very hard.

Always happy to see E.  We’ve been friends since 1985.

That’s Jeff Stetson, playwright, novelist and screenwriter.  He learned of the tree-planting via my facebook page and surprised me.   He planted a tree a few feet east of the one we worked on.  So kind of him to come out and support.

This is the team that planted our tree that Karen named “Earth:  Me, Leonard, Karen, Eriq and Xavier.  Xavier, 18, works with The Los Angeles Conservation Corps.  He was our supervisor on this job.  Pretty impressive.  Wonderful to see young people doing things to improve communities.  LACC is a fantastic organization.  They train kids as young as 13, so if you know of teens in the Los Angeles area who are interested in the environment, check them out.  They have good opportunities for youth and can train them in green careers.

It was a productive and fun morning.  I’m happy to say that there are 8 new trees in the ground on Manchester Ave. now!  Thanks so much to Lisa Sarno and Kayla Barnett of Million Trees LA, MWH and LACC.  Our community is that much better because of all of you.

photo by Michael Espinosa

–Written by Adrienne Crew, for LA OBSERVED

Toni Ann Johnson, a screenwriter, community activist and blogger, uses her blog to document her efforts to bring more green to her neighborhood in South Los Angeles. It’s been a two year struggle but she’s finally achieving visible results. Partnering with Million Trees L.A., the Southwest Los Angeles Neighborhood Council and Ralph’s super market, Toni Ann gathered with over 100 volunteers to plant Ginko Biloba trees in front of Ralphs supermarket at Western and Manchester on Saturday, January 23, 2010.

Not content to rest on her laurels for a moment (sorry I couldn’t resist), Toni Ann gave Native Intelligence a quick interview.

How did you feel after the event and as you were putting in the trees?

Right after the event I was delighted, gratified and very tired. Later when I reflected on what we’d accomplished and how long it took to reach the goal, I was profoundly grateful and feeling very connected to God,  blessed.

As we were putting in the trees I was joyful. Many of my very dear friends and neighbors came down to help out and it was pretty amazing seeing them work to make the community better. It moved me. I enjoyed digging the dirt and seeing the roots of the trees, thinking about how they were going to reach down into the soil and become a real part of the landscape. I love the idea of an urban forest!

What was the toughest obstacle in this process?

The toughest obstacle was actually what motivated me the most and I’m grateful for it. It was when the director of store operations for Ralphs told me that they wouldn’t allow the trees to be planted. He said there were no plans to green that location and that there probably never would be. Knowing that all the other Ralphs in Los Angeles had trees, the fact that he said no infuriated me and propelled me into action. I made as much noise as I possibly could, determined to be a pest until they’d install the trees just to shut me up. I gained momentum in 2009 when an op-ed that I wrote was published in the Los Angeles Times. The forces against me allowed me to develop strengths and skills I hadn’t cultivated previously, so I appreciated the challenge.

Did the result match your vision?

Honestly, not yet. : ) The trees are Gingko Biloba and they’re going to be spectacular! However, they look bare right now because the trees are dormant and they have no leaves. They look like Charlie Brown trees. We pitched this project to the community telling them that there would be an immediate visual impact, because they were 24-inch box trees, which are pretty large. Had these been evergreen trees, the “immediate visual impact” would have been true, but since they’re deciduous and it’s winter now, the visual impact is significantly reduced. But, I anticipate that in a couple of months, the result will absolutely match my vision. I am thrilled about the trees, even the way they look now.

How long did it take to put in the trees?

Not long at all. It went much faster than I expected. The event began at 8:40am and we were pretty much finished by 11:30am. We had a ceremony, a dance show, and a tutorial prior to the planting, so I’d say the entire planting time was only about two hours. We had more than enough volunteers– well over one hundred people. There were 20 trees and each tree takes 5 people to install. There was a demonstration before we all went off to our respective trees and people seemed to follow the instructions very well. Also, there were “team leaders,” representatives from The Los Angeles Conservation Corps, who helped and guided all of us.

What’s next for your group?

There are going to be two more phases of tree-plantings along Manchester Avenue, I’m happy to report. So, hopefully by 2011, much of that commercial corridor will be green! It’s very exciting.

A Lush Green South LA, with Toni Ann Johnson

www.toniannjohnson.com
www.fs.fed.us
www.Turnt-Up.com
www.milliontreesla.org

Interview with Executive Director of LA, Lisa Sarno

Interview with Screenwriter/Community Activist, Toni Ann Johnson

Interview with Council Member, Bernard C. Parks

That’s me with Russell Ferguson who recently won SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.  So, what does THIS have to do with Community Beautification?  The connection is a slight stretch, I’ll admit, but there IS a connection.  As well as being the force behind the tree planting event tomorrow, I am also a screenwriter who’s worked on a number of dance movies.  Currently, I’m developing a script set in the world of the JERKIN’ Movement and, more specifically, set in my own South LA community.  It tracks a kid who makes a transformation from gang culture to the Jerkin’ culture (which is anti-gang).   I met with Russell and his mom and brother yesterday to tell them about the story and to see if it might interest him as a vehicle.  As I shared it with him, he lit up and when I was done, he told me that it sounded much like his own trajectory.  He was surrounded by negative influences, but he used his talent for dance to turn in another direction, toward something positive.   God willing, we’ll work together.  He’s a truly talented and lovely kid with a beautiful, bright spirit.   He deserves all the success he’s having!

Some of the kids involved in the Jerkin’ movement live in the community and will be attending tomorrow’s tree planting.  They’re scheduled to perform at 8:30am.  For those of you who don’t know what Jerkin’ is, it’s a relatively new youth culture and it’s one worth supporting.  As Shariff Hasan, who’s making a documentary on the subject, explained to me, Jerkin’ has been described as “youth rebelling against rebellion itself.”  It is a move AWAY from gangs, violence, drug use and low aspirations, toward something healthy and positive and fun.  Kids in the Jerkin’ movement make their own music and videos, upload their stuff to youtube and their myspace pages and share it with their social networks.  They are also using these networks to sell themselves, their music and even fashion, thus creating a generation of new entrepreneurs.  I met Indigo Vanity last week–a beautiful and talented 16-year-old who is fast becoming a mogul of her own making.  On her website, she is selling not only her music, but she’s also selling fashion, including some sunglasses she was rockin’ when we met.  Her fans had seen her with them on and she has had them mass produced.  She’s a performer, but she’s also a savvy businesswoman!  At 16!

This is what Jerkin’ is doing for youth.  I’m all for it!   It’s uplifting, it’s self-empowering, it’s kids creating opportunity and wealth on their own using their talent and the internet.   They’re succeeding even without record deals, but the record companies are seeking out these kids with the large social networks, and partnering with them to sell records.   These artists have a lot more power than the previous generation of artists who signed contracts with companies that kept most of the profits.

One of the things that really excites me about “Jerks”–which is a GOOD thing to be, the opposite of what we used to call a Jerk– is that they are environmentally conscious.   I spoke with Indigo Vanity and a 15 year old colleague of her,s and both of them eloquently explained their understanding of global warming and how they feel compelled to do what they can to nurture the environment.   They support tree planting!  So, some of the “Jerks” will be with us tomorrow.  Hope you will, too!

This was taken Wednesday December 16th at the Ralphs on Manchester Blvd., the site for our upcoming tree planting.  That’s me in the hat, looking like I’m wearing a disguise.  To my right is Carrie Ridge, manager of Community Relations for Ralphs.  She and I began corresponding back in the fall of 2007 when I began the journey of getting trees planted at this location.  To her right, Carlton Paysinger, the store director.   And on my left is Kayla Barnett, special programs coordinator at Million Trees LA.  She works for Lisa Sarno, the amazing and energetic executive director of Million Trees LA.

The meeting was a  gratifying occasion for me!  I’m still happily stunned that the tree planting is happening and that so many great things are falling into place.  In an earlier post, I mentioned how difficult it was for the Empowerment Congress Southwest, our Neighborhood Council, to get a quorum in order to vote to approve the expenditure for the maintenance of the trees.  The chair, Pat Jones, had been in touch with me and had been trying her best to get the members together to vote.  Lately, she’s not returning my messages.  We have no commitment from them to pay for the maintenance.  There was a meeting on the 21st, but as far as I know there was no vote.  So, sadly, it doesn’t look like the neighborhood council will be involved with this community event, which is a shame.  This is exactly the kind of project the Neighborhood Council should support, but unfortunately they can’t get it together to do so.  I don’t want to disparage them, because I know that they do the best they can,  but it’s my opinion that they need to do better.   Fortunately, because of Lisa Sarno, we’ll get what we need with or without them.

Ms. Sarno has received a donation from Screen Gems for our project!  They’ve donated funds to cover the first fully year of maintenance:  $2400.00.  My amazing cousin Elle Johnson donated $500.00 which will go towards the second year.  So, we still need $1900.00 for the second year of maintenance, but at least we can get the trees in the ground knowing they’ll be taken care of for the first year.

That’s Lisa on the far right in this photo.   I’m really grateful for her efforts!   She told me that there’s more good news…  Shell, the gas station just west of the Ralphs, is also a Million Trees LA supporter and so there’s a strong possibility we’ll receive even more trees!  They want to extend the planting west along Manchester Blvd.  This is spectacular news!  My dream of this becoming a tree-lined commercial corridor may soon come true!

This experience has bolstered my ability to hope.  There are elements of South LA that have felt so discouraging and bleak, but now I see that with patience and persistence– faith– we really can make things better.    And we’re doing it!

Coincidentally, I have  recently been exposed to a new movement in hip hop youth culture called Jerkin’.  It is turning the negative aspects of hip hop– gang culture, violence, low aspirations, and turning it on it’s head into something fun, hopeful, empowering and new.  There’s a possibility that some participants in the Jerkin’ community will come and perform during the tree planting event.   I’m happy that there are multiple components of revitalization happening in the hood and think it’s super exciting that they may intersect.  According to Shariff Hasan who’s become a voice in the Jerkin’ movement, greening is part of this culture.  That makes me smile.  It’s thrilling!  I’d been worried in recent years, seeing evidence that elements of hip hop had been doing a disservice not only to urban youth, but to the community at large.  Some (not all! rap was feeling like a destructive force, encouraging kids to be violent, uneducated and ultimately without hope of finding ways to succeed in the larger culture.  As I see it, when people don’t see a way toward a better life, they aren’t able to nurture the environment they live in.  Instead, they destroy it with graffiti, trash, vandalism– lack of pride .  This new movement is all about fun, but it’s also about the kids creating, owning and distributing their own work via the internet.  This entrepreneurial spirit coming out of South LA through this culture is invigorating and uplifting.  It’s breeding confidence and pride and when that happens it has a ripple effect, making other things (like the environment) better.   I read an article that said: “this new youth culture is actually the youth rebelling against rebellion itself.”   Hallelujah!   They’re rebelling against violence, gangs, drugs, dropping out of school, destroying the environment…     That civil rights song said, “We shall overcome someday…”   I used to think that wasn’t real at all,  just something struggling people told themselves to get through their lives.  But with the coalescence of this new movement in youth culture and the greening movement that nurtures our environment, I feel that we’re finally moving in the right direction and that we’re not only overcoming, we’re transforming.

Today I spoke with Michael Espinosa in The Los Angeles Office of Community Beautification.  I worked with him back in 2007 when I was project manager on one of the projects that won the 2007 Community Beautification Grant.  If you don’t know what this is, let me explain:  The Community Beautification Grant is offered in the city of LA to groups and residents who want to improve their communities.  You can plant trees, create a park, a mural, add street accessories– like decorative trash bins, benches or even what they have on the streets in the Liemert Park area– those concrete (unbreakable) planters.

The application for the grant is long and involved.  REALLY long and extremelyinvolved,  but certainly worth it.  To find the link, google Los Angeles Community Beautification Grant.  Were I more facile with this wordpress application, I could provide the link, but don’t know how to it myself yet, sorry!  It’s not as obvious a procedure as it is on facebook.  At least not to me.

You can win up to $10,000 in grant money.  However, you must secure “matching funds,” dollar for dollar.  But, community volunteer hours can count toward those funds– so, if someone volunteers to help out for a number of hours, you multiply their hours by $15 per hour and this can count toward the matching funds without anyone having to write a check.  On a project like a mural or a community clean up, you might have up to one hundred volunteers, so the funds add up.

My project involved a mosaic tile mural, the removal of some old, dead shrubs that were replaced with new plants, and the planting of nine California Sycamore trees.  Some of the tree plantings required concrete removal from the sidewalk.  All of this, including the trees, plants, and their installation, materials for the mural, payment for the artist and payment for the landscape architect that designed the site, was paid for by the grant.   Our project came to roughly $20,000.

Our local Neighborhood Council, the Empowerment Congress Southwest, contributed a few thousand, the landscape architect donated a portion of his services, the artist donated some handmade tile, and we had about 50 volunteers, all of which helped us make our matching funds.

Mr. Espinosa was supportive throughout the entire process and talked me through everything I needed to do.  He also even let me vent from time to time without really commenting or judging.  As a project manager you are responsible for the organization of everything, which, though ultimately rewarding, along the way can be overwhelming, annoying and a downright pain in butt, hence my occasional tendency to let off steam.

The artist once accused me of “not being professional,” which really set me off, because I never claimed to be a “professional project manager.”  I was a volunteer!  I’m a professional screenwriter with no experience whatsoever in project management, simply doing the best I could for an under-served community.  She, the “artist” was theprofessional on the job, and she was getting paid several thousand dollars, thanks to me, who suggested and hired her for the job, while I was getting paid:  ZE-RO.

I’m sure Mr. Espinosa had to hold the phone from his ear when I bitched about that and about the time she showed up at my door wanting me to come outside so she could chew me out face to face or kick my ass or whatever.  I don’t know what she was going to do, but I, scrawny writing nerd that I am, glasses and all, cowered inside by my answering machine listening to her hostile rant.   When I relayed all of this to him, undoubtedly in elevated tones, he calmly assured me that everyone has a few bad days during the process and it would pass.   And it did.   He has a personality extremely well suited to his job– impeccable people skills.  So, it was, not surprisingly, a pleasure to speak with him again today.

I explained that since Ralphs has been resistant to allowing trees to be planted in front of the site, I had an idea to create a street island that we could green on Manchester Blvd., directly in front of the store.  If you want to see this barren site, google map:

1724 Manchester Blvd  in Los Angeles.

It will allow you a panoramic view and you will see that this Ralphs has nothing green going on there.   A sad sad sight.

Adding a street island with trees would give a similar effect that trees on the sidewalk would have.  Well.  How naive I was to think this was within the realm of possibility!  To create and green an island, according to Mr. Espinosa, would be about as expensive as erecting a building– upwards of $100,000!  Who knew?  I sure didn’t.

I’ve always had respect for those street islands replete with trees, but my respect just increased exponentially.  Inglewood, which is just west of our neighborhood has many of these greened street islands covering large stretches of Manchester Blvd.  They’re quite lovely with full canopied trees and yellow Gazanias in the tree wells.

This is going off on a tangent, but what the hell, it’s my blog so here we go… People who aren’t intimately familiar with Inglewood think it’s “the hood,” which it may be, but not the way some might expect.  Parts of Inglewood, though its residents are primarily “of color,” are comfortably, firmly middle-class and even upper-middle class.   Inglewood is home to some flossy folks, quiet as that’s kept.  I’ve long thought that there’s a conspiracy to hide the existence of the black middle class.  And it’s been quite well hidden.  I’m black and middle class myself, but I grew up in a white community and even I didn’t know there were so many others like me and my family, until I ventured into the world.   But that’s another story, for another blog, I suppose.

Mr. Espinosa gave me some helpful ideas to continue trying with the Ralphs.   First of all, he told me that there are a couple of organizations that will water the trees.  They include Chrysalis, Northeast Trees and Hollywood Beautification (which works citywide). You need to pay them, but he suggested that neighborhood council funds could be used to do this.

So, I emailed the chair of our neighborhood council.  We’ll see what he says.   Since the main reason Ralphs corporation gave for not wanting to add the trees was that they would not have the store take on the responsibility of watering them, perhaps they’d be open to it if someone else watered the trees and it didn’t cost them anything.  Trees only need regular watering for the first few years.  After that, the roots are deep enough that the tree can find water on its own.

The other thing Mr. Espinosa shared was the name of the person who runs the Mayor’s Million Tree Initiative, Lisa Sarnow.  I’ve been thinking of approaching the Ralphs situation that way, through the Mayor, since it’s the Mayor who has championed the community involvement in tree planting.  If I can appeal to them, they might be able to persuade Ralphs Corp. to allow the trees.  I am really hoping so and will keep you posted.

In the meantime, in my effort to add trees anywhere and everywhere I can down here, I’ve printed out several copies of a document you can download online called “22 Benefits of Urban Street Strees,” by Dan Burden.  I’ve given this document out before, to members of my block club.  And I sent it to The CEO of Kroger, owner of Ralphs.  But I plan to give out another bunch of them in an effort to continually educate this community on the benefits of trees.  Please wish me luck!  Thanks.  : )