Three year old Ethan Esparza awoke on November 19th, 2006 to a special Southern California day. Tomorrow he would turn four, and on this sunny Sunday his family would gather at his grandparent’s house in Pomona to celebrate his birthday. Later that afternoon, as he played on his grandparent’s front lawn, shots rang out. Ethan never knew what hit him and he died moments late in his mother’s arms, his life snuffed out by a senseless drive-by gang shooting. The ensuing public outcry was overwhelming.
Especially disturbing to me, Randy Bekendam, was the fact that my own grandson, Nathan, turned four the same day Ethan would have. Moved to do something, I founded Operation E.T.H.A.N. and acronym for Everyone Together Healing All Neighborhoods. Drawing on my background in agriculture, I am pursuing the mission of Operation E.T.H.A.N. by promoting urban farming projects. Tri-City Community Demonstration garden is our first such project.... What will you do?
