At a press conference on August 31, Kern County officials highlighted the new investment in District 5 parks, specifically Belle Terrace, Casa Loma, Virginia, Potomac, and Heritage Parks. Casa Loma recently had lights installed, and there are plans for new restrooms and a new soccer field. 23ABC's Corey O'Leary attended the press conference to find out more.
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00:00 We begin with the county today highlighting historic investments into local parks.
00:04 23 ABC's Cory O'Leary delves into how this money will be spent to help upgrade parks on the east side of Bakersfield.
00:11 If you're in Casa Loma Park in southeast Bakersfield and you need to go to the restroom, you might as well try a business nearby.
00:18 Because if you came to this bathroom, you'd find it in poor condition and with the doors entirely locked.
00:25 However, new funding aims to revitalize parks like this and one aspect of that is by providing funding to maintain and update public amenities like this restroom.
00:36 We are looking for our parks to be managed through an equity lens.
00:42 That's Eucedra Osby who was born and raised in District 5 in Bakersfield.
00:46 She voices community concerns about parks to the Board of Supervisors.
00:50 That means that every park should have the same thing, right?
00:56 We deserve new equipment, running water faucets, right?
01:01 Usable bathrooms.
01:03 County officials have recognized these needs but have also discussed some of the challenges of keeping bathrooms open in parks with vandalism, rendering them unusable.
01:11 While also having to deal with security concerns for those that maintain them.
01:15 A gal that maintains the bathroom at Casa Loma was robbed with a knife.
01:19 Every day after Simon Cisneros picks up his daughter from her school, the two of them spend time at Heritage Park.
01:25 Well my reaction is that's going to be awful for our community.
01:28 Which is planning to see $4.3 million worth of upgrades with construction set to be completed in mid-2024.
01:35 Cisneros has also had trouble using the restroom there before.
01:39 The other day, I tried to take my daughter to the bathroom.
01:42 It was disgusting because I went in there and there was homeless living in there as well so I was safe.
01:48 So I had to go all the way home and take her to the restroom.
01:51 Osby says maintenance is one of the primary concerns of the community.
01:54 When you're providing something shiny and new, it's great.
01:58 But you also have to consider the maintenance part of it to keep it up, right?
02:03 And so that is the community's concern.
02:05 District 5 Supervisor Leticia Perez says law enforcement does play a role in keeping the parks from getting vandalized.
02:12 But she also hopes the community takes ownership over shared spaces.
02:16 This common good, this common space has got to be invested into and cared for and protected by the community.
02:21 And in so doing, we will roll out an adopt-a-park program at the end of this year.
02:26 Casa Loma recently had new lights installed and there are plans for restrooms and a new soccer field.
02:30 Perez says this investment is long overdue.
02:33 Improvements to Vida Scott, a center that's been here for decades.
02:36 You have people in this park today who were married there 42 years ago, right?
02:40 When this community was very thriving, we had very strong African-American community, very strong African-American businesses, right?
02:48 And we know that this community has had disinvestment over the last 50 years.
02:52 It will bring the community together and it will be a lot of fun here.
02:57 I'm excited what it's going to be, what it looks like.
03:00 Corey O'Leary, 23ABC News, connecting you.