It has been brought to the attention of our editorial staff that Signal Hill Petroleum does not have 24-hour security, as was reported in the following story. The City of Long Beach notified us this week that the statement provided was later discovered to be incorrect.
In what some believe to be another retaliatory act by local transients who have been forced to leave Willow Springs Park, Farm Lot 59, an agriculture-based nonprofit, was vandalized over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to Sasha Kanno, president and founder of the farm, which is located within the park.
In a phone interview with the Signal Tribune Tuesday, Kanno said there have been ongoing problems in the park and at the farm stand, located at 2714 California Ave., including theft, vandalism and an act of defecation inside the farm’s office.
“My police file is six years deep,” Kanno said. “But this time it was an act of rage. [They] flipped everything over, pulled the irrigation out of the overhead system, thrashed the greenhouse, [and there was] a little bit of graffiti, but not so much structural [damage]. They didn’t burn down my office. They didn’t rip up my tarp— I don’t know if it’s because they didn’t have the tarp tool or not, but it was more thrashing. All the tables were overturned.”
Kanno said she estimates the damage to total around $2,000 in products and equipment that were destroyed, adding that she had discovered the damage Sunday when she showed up to work at the farm.
“Mostly the greenhouse is what took the financial hit— the plants, the future plantings, the transplants,” she said. “We have a big microgreen production, and it’s a high-value crop, and they’re all thrashed.”
Earlier this week, several members of the community— including volunteers with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach— went to Farm Lot 59 to help address the vandalism.
“The response was very touching, with people offering to come and clean up,” Kanno said. “They came and gave hugs and cleaned up and took the trash out and just gave some good ju-ju and love back to the farm.”
The Signal Tribune asked Kanno if she believes the incidents of vandalism are indeed acts of retaliation by homeless individuals who had been living in the park.
“I do,” she said, “because we are the only occupant in this 50-acre abandoned parcel. So, when they were asked to leave and their encampment was disbanded, they were walking up the road and walking right by the farm and screaming obscenities at us. It’s mental illness on top of displacement. They don’t know the difference between us and the police in what’s happening. If they go out into the gulch and throw sticks around, it’s not much impact. But, if they come here and thrash the place, it makes a difference […] That’s what I firmly believe, because I’ve seen people walking through the property here that are f—cking pissed.”
Kanno said she believes local transients who had been living at the park were responsible for the Sept. 16 fire that destroyed the historic train depot that had been located there.
Moving forward, Kanno said she would like to see more involvement from city officials, particularly the Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine, with whom Farm Lot 59 has a lease.
“I’d like Parks and Rec to be engaged. I’d like the 7th District councilman to be engaged,” she said. “This park has a master plan. So, let’s move forward with it. They have funding from Measure A. They have some grants. But there’s been no action taken. The depot— they moved it here, and it was basically an abandoned building. So, I’m not surprised that it burned down. There’s been no signage. They don’t even come here and pick up the trash.”
She said the City of Long Beach should install electricity and security lights, as well as have police patrol the area.
“I’ve been in constant contact with [7th District Councilmember Roberto Uranga’s chief of staff] Celina [Luna] over the past couple of months about every little incident that happens here,” Kanno said. “My fence gets ripped. It’s ongoing. Every week there’s something. I’ve called the police department every week this past month. This is just the biggest act of violence and vandalism [to date], but it’s just a constant problem the entire time I’ve been here.”
Kanno said she has told the farm’s board of directors that it is imperative to be specific about their needs.
“If we’re waiting for them to come up with a solution,” Kanno said, “we will never get anywhere.”
The Signal Tribune emailed Luna Tuesday morning asking for a statement from Uranga’s office on the incidents that have occurred at the park. A few hours later, Ed Kamlan, a spokesman for the City of Long Beach, responded by phone to inquire into the specific questions the Signal Tribune had regarding the park area. The Signal Tribune shared some of Kanno’s concerns regarding the homeless population, upkeep and security.
On Thursday afternoon, Kamlan emailed a statement to the Signal Tribune that included some of the measures the City has taken recently to maintain the park.
“We take great pride in our parks and open spaces and work very hard to keep them clean and safe,” the statement reads. “We have recently increased security in the area, including adding new fencing and removing debris. We have a daily City presence on site due to mulch-composting and tree-planting operations. City contractors remove trash and graffiti on a regular basis. Signal Hill Petroleum has 24-hour security staff on site. We take this matter very seriously, and our police department is reaching out to the tenant to address security.”
The statement encourages City tenants, as well as residents and businesses, to report crimes to the police department so that officials can investigate the concerns.
“Despite limited resources, we have made several improvements to this open space over the past few years,” the statement reads, adding that, in 2012, the Conservation Corps removed invasive plants in preparation for future park improvements, and, in November 2012, Long View Vista Point was completed, with benches, a walking path, drought-tolerant native plant landscaping and irrigation, a watershed map and interpretive signage. The statement also indicated that, a year ago, improvements to Long View Point included a walking labyrinth, additional drought-tolerant native plants, two vista seating areas, tree trimming and invasive plant removal.
