$1-Million Grant Will Improve Park

The city has received $1 million from the state to use for improvements at Las Palmas Park, officials said Wednesday.

The money will be used to build a multipurpose center for youths and seniors at the park, wrapping up the third and final phase in an improvement program that began five years ago to clean up gangs and make it more family oriented.

Two Little League fields, a T-ball field, a covered picnic area and a gymnasium addition have already been built, paid for mostly with county and community development block grant funds, said City Administrator John Ornelas.

“It’s changed from a dirt field to a gang-infested park to a family oriented neighborhood park,” said Public Works Director Michael Drake.

An official announcement is scheduled today at 9 a.m. at the park at 505 S. Huntington St. Mayor Silvario Robledo, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar) and state Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar) are among those scheduled to attend.

Ornelas said the youth and senior citizens’ center will be used for meetings and special events, as well as for basketball and community classes. Improvements will include a lobby with a lounge area and restrooms, he said.

“It’s always been known that recreational activities, as well as the kind of educational activities that are going to be there, stimulate the mind and provide opportunities for kids,” Ornelas said.