[ti:US City Wants Woman to Clean up Rock Art]
[al:Arts and Culture]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2023-12-03]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]Iris Logan was having a hard time growing grass at her home in St. Paul, Minnesota.
[00:08.81]So, she covered the space with stones, statues, and other art.
[00:15.68]More than 30 years later, it is something of a local landmark.
[00:21.83]But to a city inspector, it is a problem.
[00:26.41]Logan, who is 70, has been told to clean up the different objects, like wood and large rocks, noted after a recent inspection, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, a local newspaper reported.
[00:45.45]The City Council will look at the issue on December 6.
[00:50.84]Logan said the city's actions forced her to create the art in the first place. 
[00:58.21]She said city workers who were fixing the road dug so deep around one of her trees that its roots were open to the air.
[01:09.35]So, she brought in dirt, planted flowers, and added stones - and just kept adding.
[01:18.42]Logan said that if she likes a rock, she will try to bring it home.
[01:24.89]"I'm a rock lover," the former farmer from Mississippi added.
[01:30.23]Logan recently received written notice that a city official will suggest to the City Council that she be given until December 22 to clean things up.
[01:45.13]She wrote six pages of note by hand to appeal the order. 
[01:51.03]The stones do not enter the street or block city vehicles, Logan wrote to answer one of the inspector's concerns.
[02:02.12]"I just want to make a stand for the next person," Logan said.
[02:07.55]Casey Rodriguez is a spokeswoman for the St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections. 
[02:16.92]She said about 16 other properties on the same street also received letters advising them to remove objects blocking the street to agree with city laws.
[02:30.60]She said in an email to the Pioneer Press that large roads, called boulevards, should be clear of objects that can block access to power and water lines.
[02:44.20]She added that it also keeps the tree roots clear and provides a place for snow in the winter.
[02:54.07]Justin Lewandowski is a community organizer who lives near Logan.
[03:00.50]He said that 150 people signed their support on a petition "in just a few hours." 
[03:10.47]He is hopeful that the city will soon clear up their rules.
[03:16.18]"The quick support from our neighbors has been a clear signal of how much this art means to our community," Lewandowski said. 
[03:27.50]He said it is not just about how it looks; it is about their identity and how they work with each other and with city policy.
[03:38.72]I'm Gregory Stachel.