NINA HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. It is with mixed emotions that I tell this tale. Today Ballard Studio in North Park California, home of #JohnLennonMural San Diego, The Project Lennon and for the last eight years my home is closing the doors. The Project Lennon has a new home and Ballard Studio has relocated. I will be taking time to visit with Family and Friends before I have surgery as a result of being brutally attacked outside of this studio on May 2nd of 2014. My Family, Friends and Business Associates have been begging me to move, for my Family, my safety and my health both physical and mental this is a good move. The building is contaminated with black mold and getting away from the Death Threats from Gang Members and a hostile Business Community is a good thing. North Park is rated 13th hippest place in the Nation to live by #ForbsMagazine and 7th best Community Investment, but there is a Dark side. THE CRIME RATE IS SEVEN TIMES HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD IN ALL OF SAN DIEGO! NorthParkMainStreet the Business Association and the local Councilman, @ToddGloria do not want you to know this. Their point is that crime frightens the tourists so they dont talk about it. #Artivist It is my belief and that of my neighbors, that an aware Community is a safe Community, that hiding violent crime is a disservice and a safety issue. It is sad to think that others place financial gain over safety. Aside from myself many violent incidents continue. Eight Women were brutally assaulted just a few blocks from here last year. A drive by shooting on this block, several murders and gang activity with open drug sales is the norm. The Project Lennon made an effort to bring Peace to this Neighborhood but putting up Art and regularly cleaning up the graffiti. The support we got from our Councilman; he sent the Code Enforcement Department to threaten the Minority Chaldean Business owner who agreed to have Beatles Art painted on his building rather than prosecute the Corporate Vandals who illegally plastered the graffiti all over his building. He as does the City, know who the vandals are yet rather than make them fix up and pay for the damage that was caused they seek to harass him. Great message for the kids, we send you to jail for graffiti, Corporate contributors to election campaigns get a free pass. It is my sincere hope that the new building owner will respect the JohnLennonMural that Rik Erickson and I painted so many years ago. As to the issue of Corporate Vandals, I will continue to push the City to reexamine their position on this issue. Ladybird Johnson caused to have billboard along freeways banned as an Environmental Blight, whats different about inner City Roads? Do we really need our Communities vandalized by these Corporations illegally vandalizing private property to sell their products? An Icon of North Park Nina is no more. Peace
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 19:07:10 +0000
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