City set to open Ross Park

For the city, Betsy Ross Park means bragging points on developing more green space. But for residents of the surrounding community, Betsy Ross Park means several years of lobbying and hard work has finally paid off. While the official grand opening will be held Saturday, some community activists are already looking ahead to the second phase of the project. "We're still going to stay focused and we're still going to go forward," said Seferino Garcia, one of the first community members to lobby for a park at that location. In the meantime, the $1.5 million project at 1280 W. Santa Ana St. will serve children and families with its playground, gazebo, two basketball courts and athletic field. City staff said they are negotiating with the owners of adjacent properties to expand the size of the athletic field and build more parking. The city bought the 5.5-acre property for the park in 1996 and began holding public meetings for the community in 1999. The City Council approved the project, including design plans in 2000 and construction began in April 2002. Garcia and other members of Solevar, a youth and community empowerment nonprofit organization, originally pushed for arid are still to "This park became possible by the community coming together and developing a concrete plan of action." SEFERINO GARCIA ward getting a community center at the site. Chris Jarvi, the city's community services director, said the new multi-purpose auditorium at Betsy Ross Elementary School, across the street from the park, fills that need. "We" felt that" that very "much" met the interest of trying to put a community center in that part of the city," he said. Jarvi added that with the Downtown Community Center and gym one mile away, it didn't make sense to build a community center at Ross Park. Richard Ornelas, a founding member of Solevar who also worked on lobbying for the project nearly 10 years ago, said a community center could fulfill more needs, such as developing programs and providing counseling. "The city and the people say that the park is completed but it's not completed according to what we planned the park to be, Garcia, bernelas and others brought together community members through Solevar, including former gang members, and got them working toward developing a park. "This park became possible by the community coming together and developing a concrete plan of action," Garcia said. "It was under the concept of brotherhood and self-determination and to be able to determine for yourself what you want for your community."