Save the Cathedral Greenhouse Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]

#	Name	Comments
1051	Ursula Daniel	The Greenhouse is an entirely integral part of the Cathedral both physically and in terms of its mission. It is unthinkable to "amputate" this essential element from its base. One is not unsympathetic to problems of a potential scarcity of financial resources - but have solutions other than closing it been seriously considered, such as operating it independently under the Greenhouse name or soliciting financial support from its obviously passionate (and multiple) patrons? Closing the Greenhouse, as compelling the financial necessity for doing so may seem at this time, will leave a dark shadow over the cathedral for a long time to come. In the words of Oliver Cromwell: "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, consider that you may be mistaken.'
1052	Eileen K. Meakin	I cannot believe you are doing this!!!!!!
1053	Anonymous	The Greenhouse draws people to visit and return to the grounds, it asks that one who is spiritual return to see the Cathedral in all its' splender. No intimidation, just quiet connections from plants to the whole entire existence of the building and grounds and everything it stands for! I can see that the hole that you will create by removing this greenhouse will never be filled with the spiritual and wonderful connections it has made in an unspokened outreach, each plant sold or every footprint walked through there has as much value to your other church resources if not More, please won't you reconsider and leave this immensely important building intact! There has to a better way than destroying a wonderful entity leave the Greenhouse alone, I beg of you.
1054	Anonymous
1055	Carlton and Susanne Stoiber
1056	Judith B. Hawk	Without real evidence to the effect that the Greenhouse on the grounds of the National Cathedral is not self sustaining, I find this action on the part of the Cathedral and the Diocese to be highly dubious. There are many creative and effective ways that such commercial ventures can be assisted - associates groups, members clubs, teaching/learning opportunities, internships etc. It appears that this decision was taken without full consideration of the symbolic, emotional, or "dirty hands" , meaning of the greenhouse to the life of the Cathedral or to the community of gardeners. I repectifully request that the decision to close the Grennhouse at the Washington Cathedral be suspended until at least October 1, 2008, allowing the community of supporters to prepare preliminary business plans which would allow the Greenhouse to thrive.
1057	Michael Potvin	Pay someone a proper salary to share a vision for the greenhouse that sustains our faith. Spend some time and money on a new fence and shed. Extend the property of the greenhouse to the tennis courts that were fixed up a few years ago. God, how could you of spent money on those things with free tennis courts all over DC?
1058	Jill Kolakowski
1059	Beth Bigelow
1060	Anonymous
1061	Julia Walters	The Greenhouse is a unique place in DC that must be preserved!
1062	Lawrence Albert
1063	Nora Dean	Save the greenhouse!
1064	Anonymous	Ir saddens me to see the Cathedral focusing on national and international politics instead of the salvation of individual souls. It has become nothing more than a political action committee. If I want politics I can go to the hill. I used to find peace and solace at the Cathedral, now it is a place of conflict, criticism, and political ambition. The Greenhouse was a place we took disadvantaged children we mentored to make scarecrows, and advent wreaths. The Greenhouse, the Saturday morning family workshops, the pilgrimage of over 8000 DC schoolchildren all canceled with a quote that a cathedral has no business running a Greenhouse in a post 911 world!!! I think Jesus Christ would not agree and that He would not want His Church abandoning children and the community to achieve notoriety in the political realm. Shame on you Dean Lloyd, Bishop Chane, and Cathedral Chapter. You do not make me proud to be Episcopal!
1065	Anonymous
1066	Michael Hunt	Looks like it's history. WNC closed it yesterday. What did the Dean say last night?
1067	Michael Paige	It's a wonderful feature of the Cathedral close that connects the Cathedral to the neighborhood. It's beautiful at night.
1068	Alice Despard	The greenhouse is a place filled with soul and light and history. It is much beloved by many.
1069	Anonymous	I'm writing my plea for preserving the cathedral greenhouse. What a jewel we will lose.
1070	michael geraghty
1071	David W Foerster, Jr	I strongly object to the Cathedral's leadership decision to close the greenhouse. As a space it is as spiritual as the church itself. I visit the Cathedral each time I come to Washington, D.C, which is at least six times a year.
1072	Scott Bush	The Greenhouse has been and continues to be an excellent community "outreach" effort, not only to the adjacent neighborhood, but to much of NW Washington. It as as much a part of the Greater Cathedral as the Bishop's Garden, Olmstead Woods, and the Cathedral Close itself. To close is is like the Federal Government closing the Washington Monument as the first reaction to a fiscal crisis. If the Cathedral "hierarchy" doesn't realize this, then let the neighborhood take it over and continue a great tradition which is without peer in the country.
1073	David Gamache
1074	susan davidson	Shame on you for killing a neighborhood institution
1075	dan davidson	What a pity to destroy such a wonderful institution. Dan Davidson former Beauvoir and NCS parent
1076	Jane Vessels
1077	Kathleen Heintz	I love to visit the greenhouse while listening to the change ringing.
1078	Arlyce Dubbin
1079	Caroline Joss	I used to work at the Greenhouse about ten years ago, and will never forget how great it was. There is not other place to get some herbs available there.
1080	Caroline Wohlgemuth	It saddens me that a long tradition in the celebration of spirituality through nature at the Cathedral is ocmng to an end. I think the greenhouse serves the purpose of gathering a unique commnunity around the Cathedral. I hope the decision to end close the greenhouse is reconsidered.
1081	p de young	God has commanded us to be stewards of the earth. The greenhouse is the best response to God's Word. Keep it as a irreplaceable sign to this sacred edict. Do not defy God's plan for his people. Keep it open, please.
1082	Anonymous	Gargoyles unite and revolt. Protect the sacred commitment which has nourished the Cathedral greenhouse for nearly 60 years. Sincerely, your higher power. Protect the sacred commitment which has nourished the Cathedral Greenhouse for neaarly 60 years.
1083	Priscilla Liepins	Every eloquent word above represents my thoughts and sentiments on this issue. I have not heard a single defensible argument FOR the closing. If it's too expensive......PROVE IT! We are in the Nations Capital. We should grow up and preserve the precious things we have. The Luxembourg Gardens in Paris supports several beehives!!! You just DO it. It's small but it's for everyone.
1084	James A. Cooke, III
1085	Lynn Bulmer
1086	Jill Davidson
1087	Cass Johnson
1088	Matt Radford
1089	Dr. Elaine Schmidt	The greenhouse is an important part of the Cathedral's ministry. It reaches individuals who otherwise wouldn't step into the Close.
1090	Anonymous
1091	Erin Johannesen	The greenhouse has been a gift of invaluable peacefulness and greenery to our city and community. Please keep it.
1092	susan and max paape	Please save the greenhouse. We always buy our herbs in the spring at the greenhouse. It is a meaningful tradition and a wonderful way to connect with the Cathedral.
1093	Joan Roseboom
1094	Lois Dean	Visiting the greenhouse means for me also visiting the Cathedral and being prayerful, inside or outside of the Cathedral. Perhaps the greenhouse beckons, but in any case the result is a period in which I experience, on the Cathedral Close, a period of prayerfulness that I would not have had otherwise unless I were attending church. The Cathedral has been a spiritual home for me for 67 years; it is where I first went to church, where I sang and attended church as a child at Beauvoir, as a young adult at NCS, where I married, where I had my child baptized, where I borought friends from all over the world to worship, or just to become acquainted with this marvellous inspiring place. The Cathedral Greenhouse is an integral part of the gardens, the visit to the chapels inside, the music, the stained glass, the reverence for all things of God. For some of us, it is integral to our own opus dei, creating garden retreats in our own homes where God's creation is accessible in its stillness, beauty, and nurturing of God's creatures with food, water and shelter. To call the Cathedral Greenhouse a retail plant store is to miss the point. It is akin to saying why do we need a Cathedral when we have the Kennedy Center. Or a choir when we have recordings and sound systems. Some rethinking is needed by Lloyd and those who advise him, to better understand how the Cathedral has been integrated into the community and how we in the present can build on what has already been achieved.
1095	Margaret West	I wish to be counted as a supporter of the continuation of the greenhouse. Thank you
1096	Christy Halvorson Ross	The greenhouse is a true treasure of the Cathedral, and of Washington, D.C. In this age of non-discript commercialism, the greenhouse is anomoly, and one of the places that makes me proud of our city. I take all visitors the greenhouse, and shop there often. I would love to see it continue.
1097	Mary Borders	I despair at the thought of life without the Greenhouse. It is one of the joys of living in this area.
1098	Kathleen Ambrose
1099	Geoffrey Batchelder	The destruction of this spiritual resource saddens me beyond words. May the Lord grant those responsible for such a mistake the wisdom to reconsider.
1100	Susan Sears