Teens tackle Eden Park 's
woes
By Emil Guillermo
Record Staff Writer
Published Friday, June 11, 2004
 STOCKTON
-- Eden Park is an oasis of pines, oaks and palms for
midtown youth such as James Himle. The one-square-block
patch of green is bordered by the harshness of traffic,
concrete, and city life itself.
But Eden Park is hardly the Garden of Eden.
And that's what the Midtown Youth Advisory Board wants
to change with a youth talent and music event Saturday
called Parkstock.
Himle, 18, a San Joaquin Delta College student and vice
president of the advisory board, uses the park daily
to escape family troubles and write poetry. He was inspired
to action when fights, drug users and gangs prevented
him from spending more time at the park at the corner
of El Dorado and Acacia streets.
"This park's kind of bad," he said. "I
took my sister here and we just have to leave right away
because of all the drama that happens in this park."
He doesn't mean Shakespeare.
"It's people fighting," he continued. "Gang-related
stuff. ... Drugs. A lot of drugs are dealt here."
The idea of an event at the park grew among other board
members.
"We want to clean up and revitalize this park," said
Paul Herrera, 16, president of the group, and a student
at Franklin High School . "We plan to get some new
benches and better lights that are bright, because it's
kind of dark."
And then there's the bathrooms, which have been bolted
shut for as long as anyone can remember.
"We want to open those up," said Himle, who
would like to sit on the grass someday. "We want
people to feel safe having fun here again."
The youth advisory board is a product of a joint project
run by University of Pacific 's Jacoby Center and Stockton
's city government.
The board is the small youth component of a four-year,
$400,000 federal grant intended to boost economic development
in midtown.
Himle knows that life for the young people of midtown
is different, starting with the environment.
"It's hectic, with sirens all the time," he
said. "We got this joke that if we don't hear sirens
at night, then somebody's getting away with something.
"It's kind of bad, when you think about it," he
added. "But it's true."
Roy Childs, a sociologist at the university and the
project director, described midtown as a low-income neighborhood
with a median income half that of Stockton as a whole,
that's also mostly Latino and transient. Ten percent
of the homes are owner occupied.
He said the grant can't fund capital improvements or
renovate parks, hence the fund-raising aspect to Saturday's
event. Organizers plan to raise money from donations
and from selling donated food.
"It's a way to draw attention to the park," Childs
said. "And it shows that young people can do something
for the community and raise money for improvements."
The Jacoby Center grant does provide for a counselor,
Nga Lam, who said the advisory board helps build self-esteem,
leadership skills and civic involvement.
She said the park was a natural focus.
" Eden Park is their only park," Lam said.
With the weekend approaching, Herrera said he's rehearsing
with his band, the Groove Cats, a group made up of Franklin
High School jazz band members. Herrera, a trumpet player,
said his band's best song is "Pick up the Pieces," as
he hummed the trumpet riff.
Himle said if the weekend is successful, he wants to
have a Parkstock II at another city park that may need
help.
In fact, the whole thing has made the group feel it
has some control in shaping their lives in Stockton 's
midtown.
"I feel like I have a say," Himle said. "The
more I try, the more say I get. That's my goal in life.
It's not just Parkstock. Eventually I want to help clean
up all of Stockton ."
* To reach reporter Emil Guillermo, phone (209)
546-8294 or e-mail eguiller@recordnet.com
Parkstock Saturday
Parkstock will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
at Eden Park , El Dorado and Acacia streets. Admission
is free and there will be entertainment and information
booths. Food will be offered for sale, and a raffle with
50 prizes will be held. The event is sponsored by the
Midtown Youth Advisory Board. |
Stockton,
CA 
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