It's groundbreaking day for Ascot Park, one of the last remaining open spaces in East Los Angeles. The former reservoir site, a 100-acre patch north of the 10 Freeway, was subject a tug-of-war for several years between various interest groups. Eventually the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy stepped in and offered up a plan to add trails and restore native plants, including groves of oaks. Why a park?
"All Los Angeles is park poor. But in East L.A. itself, the largest open space is Evergreen Cemetery, which basically sends a message to kids: 'If you want open space, you have to die first,' " Attorney Robert García, executive director of the Center for Law in the Public Interest, told the LA Times last year.Good grief, that sounds horrible. A busy Mayor Villaraigosa, who championed the project as a Councilmember, will particpate in the ceremony.
· Ascot Hills Groundbreaking Ceremony [CLIPI Blog]
· Former Foes Unite Behind a Proposal to Turn Old Reservoir Site Into Park [LA Times via CLIPI]