Plan to Honor Reagan at Park Opposed

The proposal to rename one of Orange County’s oldest regional parks in honor of President Reagan may be tossed out or at least delayed because opposition surfaced days after an Orange County supervisor suggested it.

It’s nothing against the late president, all insist, but renaming Fountain Valley’s Mile Square Regional Park would be confusing, two Republican supervisors and other opponents have said.

Supervisor Jim Silva proposed the name change Wednesday. His colleagues Chris Norby and Chuck Smith said they oppose it partly because the park’s name is widely recog- nized.

Smith added that it was “extremely partisan” to use the county’s strong ties to the Republican Party as rationale. “While it’s a noble idea to rename the park, I believe that it is not appropriate for a nonpartisan body,” he said.

The action also would violate Fountain Valley’s policy of not naming anything after people -- living or dead.

“It creates too much controversy in many quarters,” said Fountain Valley City Councilman John Collins.

He also said that he found “no burning desire” to rename the park from about a dozen residents he informally polled.

“It’s not a question of whether Reagan deserves this or not,” said Collins, who said he was lukewarm on the idea.

“But for decades, everyone has known the park by ‘Mile Square.’ ”

The City Council has not taken a position, he said.

The proposal came about after some Fountain Valley residents approached Silva.

But late Friday the supervisor said he was considering pulling the proposal or postponing discussion even though he has the support of colleagues Tom Wilson and Bill Campbell.

Before any decision is made, the Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce said, area business should be surveyed.

The park, north of the San Diego Freeway and near Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, is a haven for joggers and walkers. The park has three golf courses, soccer and baseball fields, and basketball and tennis courts.

It is rimmed by homes and retail shops, including medical buildings that have incorporated “Mile Square” in the names of the businesses

Taking practice swings at one of the park’s golf courses, Joe Marsico, 52, of Huntington Beach said he is opposed to the proposal. “If Reagan had helped the county to secure some of the land used for this park, I could see it,” he said.

Golf course general manager Scott Chaffin said the name change would be a business challenge. “I’ve lived 47 years here and have always known it as Mile Square Park,” he said. “I don’t think our customers will recognize it as ‘Ronald Reagan Park.’ ”

Some park visitors were in favor of the idea, such as Alex Ripley, 32, of Tustin who plays basketball at the park. “I think that businesses would benefit from the name change,” he said

In some ways, Orange County was perhaps the heart of Reagan’s political support.

Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by almost 2-to-1 in the county, according to the registrar’s office.

Just a few weeks ago, Simi Valley adopted “Home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library” as its city motto. Reagan died June 5 at age 93 of pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer’s disease. His body is interred in a mausoleum on the library grounds.

The 40th president’s name already graces an airport, a freeway, an aircraft carrier, hospitals, schools, office buildings, post offices and even a New Hampshire mountain.

Santa Ana is home to the Ronald Reagan Federal Building.