From Suburbia to the Moon in One Step
The city finally changed the name of Suburbia Park to the name it has been called by residents for years: Moon Park.
The renaming was symbolic of the city’s commitment to keeping the park’s distinguishing feature, a domed, cement replica of the moon’s surface, despite urging by some residents to tear it down.
Some Mesa Verde residents said they feared the sculpture honoring the 1969 moon landing was a public safety hazard because children climb on it and because it could act as a hiding place for criminals.
But the council voted against destroying the monument because it has never been the site of a serious injury or criminal act.
Instead, they voted to build benches around it, at a cost of about $5,000, in the hope they will deter children from climbing it.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
