Local News in Brief : Baseball Diamond, Playgrounds Redone

Restoration of a neglected baseball diamond and playgrounds at the Jordan Downs housing project in Watts began Monday with $204,000 from the city Housing Authority, city Department of Recreation and Parks and a federal grant.

The ground-breaking was attended by Mayor Tom Bradley, who had talked to children at the drug-ridden public project last summer and “learned that they really wanted a place to play softball,” said Evelyn Martinez-Zapata, director of project management for the Housing Authority.

She said the project will include an irrigation system to restore grass to playing areas, grading of the baseball diamond, a new backstop and fencing and “tot lots” equipped with slides, swings and merry-go-rounds. A new basketball court will also be installed in the housing project’s old gym.

“The mayor told these kids: ‘OK, we’ll get you that softball field,’ and we’ve been trying to find the money and make plans ever since, and today it all came together,” Martinez-Zapata said. The improvements will be completed in about a month, she said.