Just a quick update on the Pasadena conflict between Southern California Edison and Persson's Nursery: On Friday, I mentioned there was a demonstration scheduled for the following morning. This did occur. Approximately 60 resident members of the Pasadena Open Space Preservation protested outside the farmers market.

The group has managed to gather 4,000 signatures from community members who want to see the green space provided by the nursery salvaged. The land owner (Edison) wants to lease it out to another tenant: RHC Communities, which will build a self-storage facility on the plot. Edison has offered the family-owned business a new location across the street, but the Persson's say the move would be too costly. At this time, the nursery is scheduled to close when its lease expires on Dec. 31.

The most recent article published in the Pasadena Star-News indicates the public may be successful in dissuading Edison from its decisionor at least in persuading the city council to vote against the project.

Personally, I'm rooting for Persson's. I'm a big advocate of family-owned business. Before you call me a traitor, keep in mind how many small storage facilities are out there and how the self-storage community reacts when one of our own gets ousted thanks to eminent domain or some other political struggle. What goes around really does come around. And anyway, plants are friends too.