Buena Park : Campaign Readied for All America City Prize

Next month, a crew of Buena Park officials and residents plans to “go back East and do some bragging” as one of 20 cities to be nominated as finalists in the national All America City Award contest.

“Everybody is just absolutely thrilled (with the nomination),” said Sue Williams, acting administrative analyst to the city manager. “This will help put us on the map.”

Williams pointed out that Buena Park is the only city from Orange County recently nominated for the award. Only two other California cities--Normal Heights and Salinas--are finalists this year in the contest, co-sponsored by the Citizens Forum on Self-Government and USA Today.

“Even if we’re not one of the All America Cities picked (there will be about 10), at least to get in as a finalist is significant,” Mayor James Jarrell said.

Jarrell said he has been shooting for the award ever since he joined the Buena Park City Council in 1976. Last year, the mayor even attended the competition in San Antonio to see what presentations other cities made. Citizen involvement appeared to be the key in the winning entries--and that is something Buena Park has plenty of, he said.

The three major projects that Buena Park will stress in its presentation during the Nov. 15-18 competition in Cincinnati are an adopt-a-school program, a senior center fund-raising committee and a program on preventing child abuse.

Williams said the link between the three programs is that “citizens saw there was a need in the community” and responded by volunteering their time, skills and money.

“This is not just an honor for Buena Park,” he added. “It’s a real honor for Orange County, as well. We’ll go back East and do some bragging and let people know what Orange County is all about.”

Other Orange County cities that have won the award since competition began in 1949 are La Habra, Placentia and Santa Ana.

After next month’s competition, a panel of judges will visit Buena Park. Selection of winners will be announced next spring, Forum publications director Joan Casey said. About 450 cities requested applications this year but only about 120 cities completed them, she added.