MOORPARK : Poindexter Park OKd as Name by Council

Hoping to hold onto a little bit of history, the Moorpark City Council has voted unanimously to name a downtown park Poindexter Park, after one of the city’s founding fathers.

The council voted Wednesday to name the park after James Poindexter, who helped lay out Moorpark’s streets at the turn of the century. The park, which will be off Poindexter Avenue, is part of a low-cost housing development on property formerly known as Gisler Field.

The council has received letters and comments from a number of longtime Moorpark residents in favor of the name. Until the mid-1980s, Chaparral Middle School was know as Poindexter School, but the name was changed because students there did not like it.

“I think a lot of those newcomers who favored changing the name (of the school) don’t really know their history or they don’t really give a damn,” said Eleanor Clement, who has lived in Moorpark since 1928.

Clement said she was happy about the council decision.

“If anything, it will be a lot easier for people to find--Poindexter Park will be right off of Poindexter Avenue,” she said. “That makes sense, doesn’t it?”