Riordan Unveils 2nd Renovated Park

Central Park in the downtown area became the second beneficiary of Mayor Richard Riordan’s crusade to fix a blighted park every two weeks until his term ends June 1.

This time Steve Soboroff, president of the Recreation and Parks Commission and a candidate for mayor, joined Riordan to unveil new playground equipment, fresh flower beds and expanded youth programs.

While Riordan has endorsed Soboroff, the incumbent has complicated the parks official’s bid by throwing a spotlight on some of the area’s most dilapidated parks. Throughout the campaign, Soboroff has emphasized his work in refurbishing many of the city’s 385 parks.

“If Soboroff was getting as much done as he said he was accomplishing, it wouldn’t seem necessary for the mayor to be fixing these parks.” said Matt Middlebrook, spokesman for opposing candidate James K. Hahn.

Soboroff, however, said he welcomes the mayor’s efforts, adding that as commissioner he has fixed plenty of parks. During his five-year tenure with the department, Soboroff said, he has overseen improvements to about 200 parks.

“You don’t have money to fix everything,” he said. “There’ll always be some parks at the bottom of the list.”

Improving the city’s parks became Riordan’s personal pledge after a community activist implored the mayor Dec. 6 to fix up the park in her neighborhood. Moved by her appeal, Riordan promised to finish Vermont Square Park within two weeks and shortly after, decided to make it a semimonthly practice until the end of his term.

“It’s amazing how easy it is,” Riordan said. “It really puts a spotlight on what can be done if there is a joint effort by community and city government.”

Soboroff did not join in the efforts on the first park, nor did he attend its unveiling in December. At the second kickoff, though, the commissioner was at Riordan’s side, along with dozens of children from 20th Street Elementary School.

“What’s this all about?” Soboroff asked the pupils. “It’s about people that care a lot about you, more than those gangs do!”

Central Park, which is at 22nd Street and Central Avenue, got a face lift in two weeks. The now-cheerful park stands defiant in a neighborhood where the cracked streets are littered with strips of orange plastic, cans and even a washing machine.

Neighborhood children, who have always known the park as a hangout for gang members, aren’t sure the renovations will be enough to make the area safe. Erendira Camarena remembers peering through the park’s chain-link fence at the gangsters smoking and drinking every day.

She added that gangsters weren’t deterred by the recent construction and broke into the park. Despite this, her eyes light up when she talks about “trying to get into a dance class at the recreation center.”