Park Reopens as Neutral Turf

When San Fernando city officials decided to name a recently constructed playground Friendship Park--Parque de la Amistad in Spanish--they weren’t thinking specifically of Gilbert Chavez and Jeramy Trujillo.

But as far those two 13-year-old boys are concerned, the city couldn’t have picked a better name.

Once they were rivals who several times came close to blows. But they got over their animosity in March while volunteering to help build the playground at Huntington and Hollister streets, and now they are good buddies.

“Gilbert and his guys used to hate me. Now we’re all brothers,” Jeramy said.

“I thought he was trying to steal my girl” and was going to beat him up, added Gilbert, throwing his arm around Jeramy. “But we worked it out.”

Instead of fighting, the two boys and three of their friends performed together Thursday in a hip-hop group called Strictly Out of Hand before more than 200 people attending the dedication of the playground. The playground was financed mainly through private donations and built over a five-day period in March by an estimated 600 volunteers.

About a year ago, San Fernando residents decided to develop that corner of Las Palmas Park, which had fallen into disrepair, into a modern playground.

Because the city couldn’t afford to foot the bill alone, community members sought outside funding, said Linda Jauron, 43, who was a member of the now-disbanded San Fernando Parks and Recreation Commission when the project began.

Beginning with $15,000 in seed money from the Frito-Lay company and more than $5,000 from the Vons grocery store chain, park supporters were able to raise about $80,000 in order to construct the playground, which is a multilevel wooden structure with interconnecting bridges, ramps and tunnels.

“It really is our park--the community built everything you see here,” said Julian Medrano, who was the general coordinator of the project and lives nearby.

In addition to the hip-hop performers, who danced to “Latin Activity” by a Lighter Shade of Brown, the dedication featured other music, games, food and a rap dance by the San Fernando Elementary School drill team.

The 30 to 40 children and teen-agers climbing around the maze of tunnels and walls paid no mind to the hourlong series of official dedication speeches in English and Spanish. They were having too much fun.

“Just tell me when it’s our turn to dance,” said Jermaine Tyler, 15, who was busily honing his street moves with Jeramy, Gilbert and the other members of Strictly Out of Hand.