TCC: Don't bulldoze community garden

Tacoma Community College is 50 years old and more expansion of the campus is to come, but TCC is going to bulldoze the tiny community garden near the gymnasium. Gardeners have until Oct. 28 to remove belongings, then the plot will be converted to a natural area.

What can be more natural than having the garden there? This garden was established about 40 years ago. With a fee, many families use this garden to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers.

There has been an influx of immigrants from Ukraine, Russia and Eastern European countries to this region. Some of these families, mostly elderly, live in nearby apartments and are using this garden to grow vegetables to supplement their diets. It gives them the opportunity to become active, to socialize and to hope. This garden is all they have to look forward to every year.

This garden benefits those who use it as well as TCC students. In the spring, the classes tour the garden to study the habitat or the diversity of lives at the garden.

Please let TCC President Sheila Ruhland know that the garden should be preserved.

This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 3:06 PM with the headline "TCC: Don't bulldoze community garden."