Trying to get a modest-sized baseball field, not a sprawling park, named for the late amateur coach Rick Hudson reeks – not surprisingly — of political impossibility.
The saddest moment in a depressing, months-long scenario probably came when the Parks and Recreation Commission told the City Council it required clearer guidelines for namings instead of naming a field at Bill Botts Field.
Mr. Hudson’s family and friends interpreted this ducking strategy as shirking responsibility:
“You can have your friend’s name on this location if I can have my friend’s name on the place I want.”
Final score: Neither name was agreed to. Everyone left disappointed, perhaps angry.
No one has found fault with the sterling amateur coaching credentials of Mr. Hudson, who died unexpectedly in August 2014.
The roadblock evidently is that certain Parks Commissioners have favorites they want to honor, and Mr. Hudson is not among those elite.
“Rick Hudson was an amazing guy for kids,” said a man who knew the owner of Culver Glass for 20 years. “I hope when I die people talk about me the way they do about Rick.
“He did a great job consistently with kids. No issues whatsoever. Always willing to volunteer. When you needed something, Rick Hudson was there for you. Without a doubt, Rick Hudson deserves to have a field named after him.”
Another man said: “I worked for Syd Kronenthal,” an iconic figure in Culver City history who was Parks and Recreation director for decades.
“But Syd got paid to do this. Rick did not. That is a crucial distinction.
“Dale Jones did great things for our city. So did Bill Botts. I knew both of them. Wonderful men. They have had places named for them.
“Rick Hudson, on the other hand, was a complete, total volunteer. He coached out of love — for decades. The kids loved him. He is so worthy, so deserving.”
Wow. So much hysteria and accusations over nothing. Perhaps if anyone had actually listened to the Commission meeting they would have understood the following:
1. We discussed that the guidelines to name or rename any area or park in Culver City are too subjective. The guidelines have no direction or parameters and basically are based on a popularity contest rather than merit.
2. Rick Hudson’s family wasn’t denied anything. Nor was Dale Jones family. The commission merely agreed to put the naming agenda items over to April 2016.
3. We then asked the Council to have staff create clearer guidelines for us before April so that we could be fair to both families and all families to come when it comes to naming/renaming issues.
When Barbara Silverstein, a lifelong friend of Anita Shapiro, came to the Commission to request the skate board park be renamed after Anita, the Commission struggled with the concept of renaming that Park, because we felt that as a Parks Commissioner she had done the job she was appointed for, and that is why she was appointed as a commissioner – because she was a good community member. And we knew it was greatly disappointing to Barbara and Anita’s friends.
At that time is when I began to think about this whole process, criteria and guidelines.
In my personal opinion those guidelines need to be there so that there it is fair to everyone who has been part of this community to be honored by their families in a similar fashion with similar criteria.
I also believe that being part of a community and participating in that community by volunteering is part of the social contract we participate in each day here in Culver City. We have more people that I can name who have done extraordinary volunteer work in Culver City without their families asking that Parks, fields, courtyards or streets be named after them.
I have even suggested to several people in this community that we not only create a criteria so that the process is fair to everyone, but that we stop re-naming places, and create a “wall of honor” at City Hall that would be the place where plaques would be placed honoring the citizens of this community who have met the criteria of going above and beyond being a exemplary community member.
The residents of our City have historically identified their neighborhoods, and in many instances neighborhood watches and associations, by the Parks that are close to their homes – Lindberg, Blanco, Carlson, Blair Hills, Tellefson, Culver West, McManus (now Kronenthal). The only neighborhood that doesn’t is Sunkist Park, which was named by its developer, yet some neighbors identify it with the El Marino Park and School. Search Wikipedia for Carlson Park, Culver City and you will find it starts with “Carlson Park is a suburban neighborhood in central Culver City, California.“ To change that is expensive to the city and disorienting to the neighbors, and should not be done without involving those neighborhoods in the process.
So, as you can see, this whole “controversy” is not a controversy at all, but merely an attempt by the Commission to be fair to all the volunteers and members of our Culver City community and to take the “popularity contest” aspect out of the process.
What a bunch of horse manure. Very disappointed in CC Commissions. A five year old could make a decision faster.
For the record the spelling of my last name is Biernat, Monica.
A five year old could make this decision faster in order to honor Rick Hudson for everything he gave to the children and this community.
Monica, Thank you for that. Most any 5-year old can play Little League T-Ball. I have my doubts about that commissioner person.
Laura, your remarks above are well taken. You are right on. Thank you.