Newport parks board says no to renaming Balboa Island Park after late Ralph Rodheim

The Newport Beach parks commission held firm to city policy Tuesday night and denied a request to rename a park on Balboa Island after late island resident and longtime civic leader Ralph Rodheim.

Rodheim’s friend Larry Kallestad, who worked with him on neighborhood events and spearheaded the campaign to rename Balboa Island Park, gave an emotional appeal to the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission. Rodheim, who died this year after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, was worth bending the rules for, Kallestad said.

Rodheim, a graduate of Newport Harbor High School, was an organizer of the Newport to Ensenada boat race, the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade and the Balboa Yacht Club’s annual Wooden Boat Festival, which he helped found in 2014. He served on the Balboa Village Merchants Assn. and founded Rodheim Marketing Group. He and his wife, Penny, owned Balboa Boat Rentals in the Fun Zone for more than 25 years.

Rodheim was honored as Citizen of the Year in 2010.

“He always did these things without seeking glory for himself,” Kallestad said. “He just did it for us, period.”

The city allows elements within parks — trees, benches, buildings and rooms — to be named after people, but not the parks themselves, on the basis that there are more deserving citizens than there are parks that could bear their names.

Commissioners held tight to that reasoning Tuesday.

“This is a very slippery slope that we have presented to us tonight, deciding on how we honor or recognize someone in a city that has so many outstanding citizens,” Commissioner Roy Englebrecht said.

Commissioner Tom Anderson agreed: “I think we have a mechanism to honor people like Mr. Rodheim, and I’m sure if he was here he would understand the importance of policy for things like this.”

But Kallestad said the park naming policy is a suggestion and can be waived.

“There probably will never be another person like Ralph Rodheim,” he said, pausing to overcome tears. “But if someone like him does come along, hopefully it will be in Newport Beach and we will all benefit once again as we have because there was a Ralph Rodheim as our benefactor.”

Larry Weeshoff, who worked with Rodheim on the creation of the aquatic complex at Corona del Mar High School, pointed out the recent renaming of Ensign View Park as John Wayne Park.

Commissioners did not respond. They were not involved in naming that park for the late actor and one-time Newport Beach resident; it was a direct City Council action in April.

Englebrecht suggested another way to honor Rodheim, such as a sculpture. “A bench, a tree, a plant doesn’t do Ralph justice,” he said.

After the commission’s unanimous vote, Kallestad and other Rodheim supporters huddled outside and resolved to appeal to the City Council.

“I’m disappointed; I’m not surprised,” Kallestad said.

Penny Rodheim said she supports continued efforts to rename the park after her husband, or any other tribute.

“Some recognition we hope to come along,” she said.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD