Paularino Park has no problems to fix

I wonder if trick-or-treaters stopped by Costa Mesa City Councilman Eric Bever’s house last night to get some goodies. If they avoided his house, I can guess why. Perhaps his costume was too terrifying for the kids. Or maybe his ideas don’t coincide with the large majority of kids who love kicking a soccer ball at Paularino Park.

At the Oct. 18 City Council meeting, Bever tried to convince his colleagues to change the status of Paularino Park from an “active” to a “passive” facility. He and a few individuals believe some people -- most of them Latino kids -- have been using the park for more than recreational activities and have been playing organized sports such as football and soccer.

Not only that, Bever feels that those individuals who visit the park -- most are said to be Latino families -- have been vandalizing it, leaving behind trash and even defecating and urinating around the small playground area.

Is that what our representative in the City Council feels Latino families do on a public field? Does Bever imply that we don’t have bathrooms in our residences? This is an outrageous allegation. The Latino community in Costa Mesa is extremely offended by Bever’s assumptions.

Before making an official demand in the City Council, Bever needs to substantiate his findings. The Costa Mesa Police Department has already made an official report responding to a complaint that looks a lot like his biased proposal. The department sent a park ranger and a crime-scene investigator to assess and document Paularino Park’s condition. They found it in relatively good shape. The report also shows that no evidence of human feces, urine or trash was found around the playground area. So what is Bever talking about?

At that meeting, some neighbors openly criticized his allegations. One speaker was even more constructive about the reasons why some kids might be kicking a soccer ball: He suggested the city build more sports facilities.

Mayor Allan Mansoor asked a community park ranger to talk about what has been going on at Paularino Park. Answer: nothing abnormal. The park ranger said he saw kids kicking a soccer ball or playing other games a few times, but he has never seen the games turning competitive. He didn’t believe that park has been vandalized either; and he didn’t discuss finding anything disgusting on the grass.

I stopped by Paularino Park three times two weeks ago to see for myself. I was there twice on a Friday and once on a Saturday. On Friday I went in the morning and in the afternoon and didn’t see a soul in the park. I got out of my car in both occasions, walked on the nice green turf and sat down for a little bit. Some bird droppings were the only nasty things I saw.

On Saturday, the park looked a lot like the day before, except that a sophisticated lady walked out of her SUV with her two little dogs. I guess the lady took her mascots to have them breathe some fresh air and to do something else. Maybe Bever needs to walk out there to find out whether the feces belonged to dogs or to humans.

Paularino Park is a recreational public place. Our kids need to stretch out, get some physical exercise and perhaps kick the soccer ball for a little bit. Instead of being secluded in their bedrooms, playing electronic games or watching stupid television shows, they should spend more time in the open, walking or running around the park.

* HUMBERTO CASPA is a Costa Mesa resident and bilingual writer. He can be reached by e-mail at hcletters@yahoo.com.

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