These beautiful eucalyptus trees, planted 25 years ago as a memorial to my late parents Baoy and Nina Cordova, together with all other trees on the grounds of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Stockton, California are scheduled to be destroyed to expand a parking lot in a new landscaping plan that I will never accept.Our planet is fragile, perhaps more vulnerable than at any other time in history. Current environmental crises remind us daily that the world doesn't need more parking lots, more cars and pollution, or any other forces that destroy life.
Trinity is a historic church with roots in the "Little Manila" neighborhood of Stockton: http://www.littlemanila.net/ For more info on Trinity church's history, please also see Voices: A Filipino American Oral History (Filipino Oral History Project, Inc,. 1984, & 2000) Voices cites excerpts from "The History of Trinity Presbyterian Church" by the late Sebastian Inosanto who describes the church's role in a historic asparagus strike in Stockton. And there's so much more history. What follows here now are letters -- one that I wrote to the church Session (like a board of directors) and the Interim Pastor's response to me.
So, family and friends: If you want to see or take photographs of the trees, I urge you to do so ASAP.
Trinity Presbyterian Church
1002 West Eighth Street
Stockton, CA 95206
*****Here's my letter to leaders of the church who made these decisions:
FROM:
Dr. Joan May T. Cordova
TO:
Members of the Session
Trinity Presbyterian Church
Stockton, California 95206
DATE: 10 March 2009
RE: Proposed plans for landscaping & parking lot expansion
With much respect to the committee who worked so hard on plans for landscaping Trinity, I now ask the Session to prayerfully consider another perspective on this issue. I write as a Trinity Presbyterian Church member whose perspective has not yet been included in previous discussions. For I heard about these plans for the first time on Sunday, March 8 (2009), and was greatly distressed to hear that the proposed plans to expand Trinity’s parking lot would destroy the eucalyptus and other trees pictured here.
As a former member of the Session and Youth Group Adviser who grew up at Trinity, I have always been inspired by Trinity’s strong history of compassionate work for social justice – whether advocating for neighborhood improvements, fighting plant closures, struggling for equity in education, and standing in solidarity with farm workers during a historic asparagus strike. I do not understand why, during this deep economic recession when Stockton has the highest percentage of home foreclosures in the USA, Trinity would now make landscaping and parking lot expansion a priority. In light of the global financial crisis, how is the act of incurring more debt to do landscaping and expand the parking lot justified as wise stewardship? Are there no other community needs that Trinity might address? In the spirit of preserving the environment, might Trinity consider alternatives to parking lot expansion such as walking paths or bike trails?
One occasion when Trinity’s parking lot more than exceeded its capacity was in November of 1981, during the joint funeral of my parents Nina Cordova and Baoy Cordova. Both had served as members of the Session at various times and were highly active in the local community. In the difficult months following this tragedy, I consulted with the late Rev. Richard Litherland, Elders Mary and Sebastian Inosanto and Angel Bantillo Magdael – close family friends who were also among my mentors at Trinity – to discuss an appropriate memorial in honor of my parents. I decided that memorial funds received from many family members and friends would eventually be donated to 1) support the work of publishing Filipino American oral histories (that eventually became Filipino Oral History Project, Inc., publishers of Voices: A Filipino American Oral History, now in its second printing) and 2) the planting of eucalyptus trees on Trinity Church grounds as a living memorial to the Cordovas.
I have always valued trees and strived towards a “green” lifestyle even before the term was used. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz in the 1970’s (where I rode my bicycle throughout college), I valued the way architects designed classroom buildings in ways that did not destroy the natural environment, keeping the woods intact. I hope that Trinity will do the same. As a former advisor to Trinity’s Youth Group, I recall how many camping trips to Pinecrest Lake, to Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe created worship and educational experiences in settings where we learned to value and preserve all of nature.
More significantly, I hope that Trinity will honor its history of compassionate work for social justice while building communities and “…seeking the welfare of the City.”
With hope for your prayerful consideration,
Joan May T. Cordova
Dr. Joan May T. Cordova
TO:
Members of the Session
Trinity Presbyterian Church
Stockton, California 95206
DATE: 10 March 2009
RE: Proposed plans for landscaping & parking lot expansion
With much respect to the committee who worked so hard on plans for landscaping Trinity, I now ask the Session to prayerfully consider another perspective on this issue. I write as a Trinity Presbyterian Church member whose perspective has not yet been included in previous discussions. For I heard about these plans for the first time on Sunday, March 8 (2009), and was greatly distressed to hear that the proposed plans to expand Trinity’s parking lot would destroy the eucalyptus and other trees pictured here.
As a former member of the Session and Youth Group Adviser who grew up at Trinity, I have always been inspired by Trinity’s strong history of compassionate work for social justice – whether advocating for neighborhood improvements, fighting plant closures, struggling for equity in education, and standing in solidarity with farm workers during a historic asparagus strike. I do not understand why, during this deep economic recession when Stockton has the highest percentage of home foreclosures in the USA, Trinity would now make landscaping and parking lot expansion a priority. In light of the global financial crisis, how is the act of incurring more debt to do landscaping and expand the parking lot justified as wise stewardship? Are there no other community needs that Trinity might address? In the spirit of preserving the environment, might Trinity consider alternatives to parking lot expansion such as walking paths or bike trails?
One occasion when Trinity’s parking lot more than exceeded its capacity was in November of 1981, during the joint funeral of my parents Nina Cordova and Baoy Cordova. Both had served as members of the Session at various times and were highly active in the local community. In the difficult months following this tragedy, I consulted with the late Rev. Richard Litherland, Elders Mary and Sebastian Inosanto and Angel Bantillo Magdael – close family friends who were also among my mentors at Trinity – to discuss an appropriate memorial in honor of my parents. I decided that memorial funds received from many family members and friends would eventually be donated to 1) support the work of publishing Filipino American oral histories (that eventually became Filipino Oral History Project, Inc., publishers of Voices: A Filipino American Oral History, now in its second printing) and 2) the planting of eucalyptus trees on Trinity Church grounds as a living memorial to the Cordovas.
I have always valued trees and strived towards a “green” lifestyle even before the term was used. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz in the 1970’s (where I rode my bicycle throughout college), I valued the way architects designed classroom buildings in ways that did not destroy the natural environment, keeping the woods intact. I hope that Trinity will do the same. As a former advisor to Trinity’s Youth Group, I recall how many camping trips to Pinecrest Lake, to Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe created worship and educational experiences in settings where we learned to value and preserve all of nature.
More significantly, I hope that Trinity will honor its history of compassionate work for social justice while building communities and “…seeking the welfare of the City.”
With hope for your prayerful consideration,
Joan May T. Cordova
*****And here's the Interim Pastor's response
Trinity Presbyterian Church 1002 W. 8th Street Stockton, CA 95206
Dear Dr. Cordova,
The Session received and discussed your letter of March 10, at it's meeting last night. Thank you for writing. It arrived, due to no fault of your own, at the moment of beginning the first phase of landscaping. The Session felt it had proceeded beyond the point of making the change you hope for, due both to two consecutive congregational meetings in favor, and to the risk of incurring additional expense in changes to the contract. The tree removal all over the property, in preparation for grading likely begins this very week.
You have sympathizers here on at least two counts. Trees are important, and the loss of the eucalyptus trees will be mourned, as well as the other trees. I happen, as do other folks here, to like the look of the trees. The mourning here will not be as deep as yours in their removal as a memorial. But people here will inevitably mourn the loss of the familiar landscape, and the presence of stately trees.
And members will want to show respect for the memorial, even though the trees are gone. I can imagine that this may not be any consolation for you. But the Session wants you to know they intend to find a way to keep this memorial and others, in a public way. It may be in markers placed with new trees planted, or in a separate physical monument for memorials, or both.
You make an eloquent case for both the priorities of our work, as well as the value of the greenery. While we may seem to be ignoring that, the Session wants me to tell you of their continuing commitment to social justice and the community, and the ecology of "going green". So the funds used for the landscaping do not increase our debt, but come from a previous Synod loan for this purpose, and from property funds on hand. And new trees and shrubs will be planted. The Session and members have been working on future visioning for Trinity for about a year, and we are hoping to take a further step this year toward "transformation" in our ministry plan that will include our commitment to both justice and community needs. And in this project, the Session hopes for more useful space, and more inviting and hospitable space for members and newcomers.
Though we would never intend disrespect in the removal of any memorial symbols, the Session is wrestling with what changes in both facilities, property, and ministry can serve us and the community in the future. I expect you do understand that to commit to never changing any physical feature, even cherished memorials, could seriously restrict options in the future. I hope this letter serves at least to convey our commitment to the future while honoring the past.
I will be glad to hear from you at any time, and thank you again for your thoughtful letter. It has helped me realize additional concerns to include in our letter to the congregation.
Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Byron L. Nelson
Interim Pastor
Interim Pastor
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