Thefts, vandalism cause Midtown Garden closure

Very sad news. I often wondered how well these community gardens operate in the urban environment. Sounds like once the pilfering starts, it just goes down hill from there.

Also, I hope those Master Lock combination locks are just temporary. They can be opened by anyone with access to Youtube and an aluminum can in a New York second.

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A tragedy of the commons, for sure.

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I may have moved to another community, but this still makes me very sad. The Palo Alto I knew and loved is long gone.

"Some non-gardeners have even been caught washing their cars with the garden's hose."

They allow gardeners to wash their cars with the garden's hose? Can they do their laundry there as well?

I wonder whether any fines or community service were meted out to those repeat offenders. How arrogant of someone to say that they've stolen before, and they'll do it again! If they're employees of local businesses, print the business names and talk to the owners. The thieves who are local should just have to pay and have their names printed in the crime watch. How tawdry! I think the vandalism is teens looking for something to do before school starts. Anyone else notice this phenomenon? [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

stretch's idea about who the offenders might be may very well be completely wrong, but Stretch is not shy about them and insinuate what she doesn't really know. Why being nasty and introduced race in what is an equal opportunity field? I had plants wrecked and vandalized by my caucasian neighbors in Midtown... (maybe that's what Stretch means by being afraid of sounding racist)

It would be good to talk to each manager of each business (thee aren't too many) explain the situation, ask them to inform each and every one of their employees that the Garden will insist on criminal charges for those caught. And whether the culprit is a young neighbor or an old person from another community just do it.

To stretch and narnia

...And I have actually seen persons in Midtown, stealing fruit from yards, who were adults and neither black nor white...

Midtowner

I presume you mean squirrels or other wildlife. I have been finding half eaten large tomatoes in my back yard recently, not mine.

To Resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood:

Actually, no, they were not wildlife. They were humans, carrying large bags and harvesting large quantities of fruit from fruit trees. I'll add that they were not Hispanic either.

Midtowner,

I've seen them too, just plain stealing...in all colors

Midtowner and Narnia,

So did you say or do anything while watching these people steal from the garden? How about reporting these people or taking a picture next time and submitting them to the city parks and recreation department.

I've been going to this garden and putting fresh veggies in between my subway sandwich's for years now. Part of having a plot in a publicized garden means that you're are going to have to accept some losses. So stop whining, and try growing more next season because sometimes there are no vegetables left to put on my sandwich's which puts me in a situation where i'm only eating bread, meat and cheese. I would be very dissapointed if you guys put locks on the gates.