Riordan to Expand Park Renovations

Expanding a quixotic campaign into a significant bureaucratic undertaking, Mayor Richard Riordan announced Wednesday that he will put money in the coming budget to refurbish 10 more troubled Los Angeles parks, in addition to the 18 he expects to finish by the end of his term.

“I think fixing the parks should be a constant thing,” he said. “I would encourage the next mayor to continue it for the next 20 years.”

The announcement was made during the unveiling of renovations at Jim Gilliam Park in Baldwin Hills, the sixth to be refurbished since Riordan made his promise in December to fix a park every two weeks.

As with some of the other sites, chipped wooden benches were refinished, the cracked, gray basketball court was repaved, and pansies and agapanthus were planted into once barren ground. On Wednesday, two dozen preschoolers from the park’s child-care center squealed as city workers installed one of the city’s largest jungle gyms on the playground. Since December, the program has expanded to include 34 of some of the city’s most dilapidated parks. Riordan has already set aside $2 million in the coming budget. This includes cleanup and long-term staffing costs for 10 parks.

Officials hope these efforts will keep the parks from reverting to the gang hangouts. To that end, Ellen Oppenheim, general manager of the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks, said the department has put staff at each site and intends to hold classes at them as well.

At each of the renovated parks, officials promise that graffiti reported to the staff will be painted over within 24 hours. Police will also try to be on alert: The parks department has been working with the LAPD to monitor and respond to problems at each site, officials said.

The burst to improve city parks began late last year--and was largely the product of chance.

Helen Johnson, a South-Central resident and community activist, turned out for a community meeting hosted by Riordan, and begged the mayor to pay attention to a struggling park in her neighborhood.

Johnson complained that her previous pleas had gone unanswered, and said the situation at Vermont Square Park was steadily growing worse. Drug dealers congregated under overgrown trees, where they were shielded from LAPD helicopters. Soccer games regularly turned into unruly congregations, with players and spectators drinking beer and alcohol.

Moved by her story, Riordan promised to fix up the park in two weeks. The mayor delivered and twice since has expanded that effort--first by promising a park every two weeks and now by putting aside city money for the next mayor to continue the campaign.

On Wednesday, when told that Riordan had expanded his campaign, Johnson expressed satisfaction at the product of her efforts.

“If I hadn’t gone to that news conference that morning. . . . “ she said. “It’s like baking a cake and having it turn out really well. I’m so, so happy.”

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Improving Parks

Mayor Richard Riordan announced Wednesday that he will put an additional $2 million in the budget for his successor to refurbish 10 more Los Angeles parks. He has already fixed six and expects to finish another 18.