Councilman Robert Garcia and other members of city hall had the ground breaking for a new Skate part for the 14th Street Park on 14th Street and Pacific Saturday, September 19 at 10 a.m.

The city council has approved $620,000 in federal grant money from the stimulus package to upgrade the park.

Garcia posted on his Facebook, “…Is looking forward to the groundbreaking of the new 14th Street Skate park on Saturday.”

This ground breaking should of happened three years ago. The youth who skate and administer this section of their park have been waiting for this day to come.

Chris Robles, 17, one of the common skaters at the park said, “I want to see a pretty tight skate park, something worth it since they are spending that much money into it.”

Where is this money going to go? Who is going to build the park? What company will be hired by the city to make sure that this new park is built according the skating regulations and safety regulations for the youth of the Long Beach.

If half a million of tax payer money is being spent on the youth, this money better be worth it to make sure these kids stay off drugs and off the streets.

Many people are not convinced of how this money is being spent and if it will really do anything for the people of Long Beach.

Senator Tom Coburn form Oklahoma said, “The 14th Street Park one of the top 100 worst examples of waste as it does not add jobs or improve infrastructure.”
If anyone has gone to this park you know its full of homeless people, drugs, and barely any space to enjoy the grass.

What this Senator does not know is how poor this area is but he does have a point to how this money going to improve the infrastructure of this neighborhood or who is going to get a job out of this.

Many cities around the U.S. have created public skate parks in for their communities. One example is the Jim Griffith Memorial Skate Park, in Tigard, Oregon. The city of Tigard spent $370,000 on the construction of the park. If the city spends this much just in construction then $250,000 is left for the park. Many productive things can be done with this money.

Guadalupe Jureguime, a resident and frequent visitor of the park wants to see more change. In an interview in Spanish she said, “I heard on television that the kids were promised that they will have their skate park and that their park will be fixed.”

Albertina Magaña another resident said, “A public bathroom is need in this place, and more trees to bring shade for our park.”

“Couple of months ago there was holes on the ramps and the railings where broken,” said Robles.

I asked these ladies and the skaters who their council member is and they had no clue who Garcia is and what he does. If he wants to make a change in this park and help this poor community of the first district he needs to put his best foot forward and talk to the youth and the neighbor’s of the park.

“The Ghetto Park” will soon have a facelift but it is up to it’s residents to get in tough with Garcia and the city to have an input on where this money really needed.


Photos Provided by Veronica Vega

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