<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi Lorraine,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Yes, I know this is a hot topic, that’s why I sent the NBC link!</div><div class="">I think it’s a great idea to reach out to Sean at AUA to see how CCGA and AUA can work together on this issue.</div><div class="">Thanks for drafting this email! I made a couple of edits and included the link to the article below.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="">Let me know your thoughts!</div><div class="">Amy</div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Dear Sean,<br class=""><font color="#5856d6" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(88, 86, 214);" class=""><br class=""></span></font><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="">Over the last two months CCGA has heard from it's community gardeners that the new rules that the Department of Water Management has now set for water access at fire hydrants is crippling our gardeners. Acquiring, installing, and certifying a Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) unit for any community garden is cost prohibitive. In an article in this morning's NBC news the issue may have been given wider reach, (see: <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/gardeners-say-access-to-water-limited-by-new-chicago-rules/2304394/" class="">https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/gardeners-say-access-to-water-limited-by-new-chicago-rules/2304394/</a>) but other than pointing out a serious issue facing community gardens that we are already aware of, what more can we say or do? CCGA would like to put this issue into our upcoming Summer Newsletter. Is there something more you can say to our gardeners? </div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class=""><br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Jul 14, 2020, at 1:01 PM, Lorraine Kells <<a href="mailto:lxkells@gmail.com" class="">lxkells@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">Amy,<br class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">This is not new, worrying comments have appeared on our CCGA Facebook starting April 30 where I recommended to everyone to join the forum. Marsha Wyatt responded on July 1, but no one has a solution. It also came up in conversation at some point with Julie and Gina about the content of their discussions with the Field Museum interviews with them. I asked Julie to please understand that community gardens have this problem. She has long insisted (as an organizer, but not a gardener) that rain barrels are the answer. I think Gina and I may have finally convinced her that this is a serious issue for community gardens because we have no place to hook our rain barrels up to a downspout. Relying on rain water alone is not the answer. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The article does nothing for community gardeners, offers no AUA suggestions, no approach to discounts or waivers that could be offered by Department of WAter Management or grants available by the city or other orgs.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I tried to post a reply on this topic, but I'm rusty and I don't see it. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">So yes, we could add this issue to the newsletter, but not without further comment from Sean Ruane at least. I found an email contact for him. Amy, let's compose a quick draft email for <a href="mailto:director@auachicago.org" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;background-image:initial;background-position:0px 0px;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font-size:18px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(41,178,91);text-decoration-line:none;font-family:"Crimson Text Regular",Helvetica,Arial,Lucida,sans-serif" class="">director@auachicago.org</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Suggestion, please comment</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Dear Sean,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Over the last two months CCGA has heard from it's community gardeners that the new rules that the Department of Water Management has now set for water access at fire hydrants is crippling our gardeners. Acquiring, installing and certifying a Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) unit for any community garden is cost prohibitive. In an article in this morning's NBC news the issue may have been given wider reach, but other than pointing out a serious issue facing community gardens that we are already aware of, what more can we say or do. CCGA would like to put this issue into our upcoming Summer Newsletter. Is there something more you can say to our gardeners? </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><br class=""><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Jul 14, 2020 at 10:19 AM Amy Olson <<a href="mailto:akeo@me.com" class="">akeo@me.com</a>> wrote:<br class=""></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;" class="">Hi Lorraine - Did you see this? Should we mention it in the newsletter?<div class="">Am working on finishing the draft now!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Amy<br class=""><div class=""><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,sans-serif" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,sans-serif" class=""><b class="">Gardeners Say Access to Water Limited by New Chicago Rules – NBC Chicago</b></span></div></blockquote><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div style="margin:0px" class=""><a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/gardeners-say-access-to-water-limited-by-new-chicago-rules/2304394/" target="_blank" class="">https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/gardeners-say-access-to-water-limited-by-new-chicago-rules/2304394/</a></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></div></blockquote></div>
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