The editor of the Canarsie Courrier sent me an article about the history of the spot on the Rockaway Parkway and Shore Drive. The story of how it was once a community garden maintained by neighborhood volunteers. The article describes the parcel's rise from a vacant lot to a thriving community garden and its eventual decline as the volunteer community aged. There's a great side story about a handmade sign they put there that had an American Indian on it and the slogan, "Canarsie Cares". The sign was then made into a metal version of the handmade one. Then it disappeared from the garden and reappeared at the Canarsie subway stop (see photo above) Now the spot is under the jurisdiction of the Adopt-a-Highway Volunteer Program. The current sponsor is responsible for picking up the litter and planting flowers. So I'm not sure it's really a possibility to do anything there, but I have a call into the Adopt-a-Highway Volunteer Coordinator. Might as well continue to follow the thread. It could be lovely to rehabilitate that spot with native corn. But it does seem like a long shot. I guess that's part of what this project is pointing out -- there just isn't much land to grow corn on anymore -- especially in places that were once Lenape planting lands.
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