[Editor’s Note: A letter that community activist Chip Netzel addressed to City Manager Jerry Fulwood.]
Jerry:
You asked me to contact you should I have any concerns or issues regarding the parks.
[img]150|exact|||no_popup[/img] Well, thought I would follow up the comments made by one of the applicants this past Monday night for the position of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commissioner. I don’t recall his name, but he lives on the east end of town near Syd Kronenthal Park and is a long-time resident.
He and I have a very similar recollection of growing up in and around Culver City parks.
There was continuous outreach into the neighborhoods to draw kids down to the neighborhood park.
My park was Lindberg. During the summer, we’d get up early in the morning and spend the entire day at the park playing games and participating in organized activities. The only breaks we would take were for lunch and dinner.
We’d stay until the Recreation Leader left at night. I forgot to mention the great summer BBQ’s and water balloon fights we’d have at the parks as well.
I remember the great competition between the different parks in flag football, softball and basketball. There was nothing like a matchup of the powerful squad from Lindberg venturing over to McManus Park for the big game.
Every summer we’d participate in the Culver City Games (mini-Olympics). Each park would send representatives to the designated (Olympic) park to compete in a host of competitions: ping-pong, caroms, over-the-line, chess. Ribbons would be given to the kids for 1st through 3rd place. And yes, it was great to go back to Lindberg Park as the overall Culver City champion.
My kids are getting to the age where it’s now their turn to spend the day at the park (El Marino), but I won’t be sending them to the park.
There is no attempt to reach out into the neighborhood and draw the kids in. There are zero organized activities for the neighborhood kids. This summer at El Marino, the entire park has been rented out to an outside camp. There is no room for the neighborhood kids to play anywhere.
Finally, the Recreation Leaders are key to the success of the parks. The Recreation Leaders when I was growing up were all hometown kids. They had a vested interest in the local parks because it was “home.”
In fact, I still have very good friends that were once my Recreation Leaders. I don’t get the sense that Recreation Leaders care about running programs, and I see it first-hand everyday.
Here is a quick snapshot yesterday afternoon at El Marino of the Recreation Leader washing his car while on duty. In my 40 years in Culver City this is a first.
Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.
Chip
