Renaming of Century Blvd. to Proceed

Despite protests from some angry business owners and residents, the city will go ahead with a ceremony scheduled Friday to rename Century Boulevard in honor of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“We will go ahead with the dedication. The council has already voted for the street renaming,” Mayor Evelyn Wells said after a noisy council meeting Tuesday at which more than 50 people jammed the tiny chambers to protest the name change.

During the celebration of Black History Month in February, the council voted, 3-2, to rename Century to Martin Luther King Boulevard. The council majority chose Century from among three streets recommended by a council-appointed committee. The other candidates were Bullis Road and Carlin Avenue.

Councilman Paul H. Richards, who originally suggested naming a city street after King, Councilman Robert Henning and Wells voted for Century.

Councilman E.L. Morris voted for Carlin and Councilman Louis Heine voted for Bullis.

Petitions Submitted

Tuesday, protesters turned over to the council petitions signed by more than 2,000 people who objected to renaming Century.

Some protesters argued that the name change would place a major financial burden on businesses, which would have to change letterheads and labels. Others said Century had historical significance to the city.

Ralph Cryer, a protest organizer and vice president-comptroller of Helen Grace Chocolates, estimated that it could cost his firm up to $75,000 to change such items as stationery and candy wrapping labels.

“This would be a total disruption to our business, which has been in Lynwood for more than 34 years,” Cryer said.

Another protester, lawyer Michael C. Cambridge, told the council that he is upset that the change was made without a public hearing.

“Most people were not aware of this until invitations about the dedication were sent” this month, said Cambridge, whose office is in a six-story medical and law office at 3737 Century Blvd.

Wells replied that the council “had two or three meetings on this. It has also been in the papers.”

Morris said there is no requirement for a public hearing, but he and Heine tried to persuade the council to rescind its earlier vote to rename the street and have public discussions.

“In view of so many businesses concerned about renaming of the street and possible threats of some businesses moving out of the city, I move we put this off for another date,” Heine said.

However, City Atty. Henry Barbosa told Heine that it had not been legally possible for the council to vote on the item, because it had not been listed on the Tuesday agenda.

Barbosa also said it had not been legal for Heine or Morris to offer a motion to bring the issue back for a vote, because they were on the losing side in February. The matter could only be reintroduced for a vote by a member on the winning side, Barbosa said.

Henning said he suspects that the protest is racially motivated: “I think it is a racist motive because we want to honor a black.”

But businesswoman Emma Esparza told the council: “This is in no way racially motivated. Black, Latino, white and Oriental people signed these petitions.”

Esparza, a worker-compensation consultant with a office on Century Boulevard, suggested that the council raise money to build a statue to honor King instead of renaming a street.

The street renaming ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Century’s intersection with Bullis Road. Signs bearing King’s name will be placed at that intersection.

The city will have signs put up at intersections along the three-mile route, which runs through Lynwood from Alameda Street on the west to the Long Beach Freeway on the east. It will cost the city $30,000 to $40,000 for the design and construction of 108 signs.

To reduce confusion until people become familiar with the new designation, both the new and old street names will remain for about a year, officials said.

In addition to the protesters, the city is facing another possible hurdle: Part of Century runs through South Gate.

City Manager Charles G. Gomez said the committee failed to take this into consideration.

He said he will notify South Gate officials to see how the issue will be resolved.

South Gate City Administrator Bruce C. Spragg said businesses on the north side of the Century along a 10-block stretch from Santa Fe Avenue to west of Long Beach Boulevard would be affected.

Spragg said he had heard unofficially about the name change and had passed it on to the South Gate City Council.

He said he did not expect action by the council until Lynwood formally notified the city.

Spragg added: “They don’t have any authority to change the names of streets in our city.”