CITIZENS COJ.I:!

MITTEE TO SAVE ELYSIAN PARK

1672 Ave. L.A. 90026 }it\ 5-8427
NEt.vSLETTER No. 25
January, 1969
. PARKS DEPT. BUDGET INCLUDES FUNDS
FOR IRRIGATING ELYSIAN PARK
GOOD l\JEWS! The current Recreation and Parks Dept. budget
(196?-70) incl'udei!J 1ilOO,OOO for the initial phase of irrigating
Park. This means that trees and other ulants sufferin:<: from
lacJ:r of water may yet be saved. A staff report: presented 9,
total cost for irrigatioJ:a in the park at a whoppins .
$2,279,040, but .recommended against any funds being e.lJ.oc<>ted now to
reverse. the park's deterioration. It proposed, instead,
for a 1970 bond issue.
"THAT'S THE SAME as filing it and forgetting about it," com-
mented r1rs. Harold c. l1orton,, commission vice president. Other com-
missioners agreed, They voted unanimously to place the $100,000 item
in. the department's \$22,700,000 bud,s;et. Councilman Paul H. Lamport,
chairman of the council's Finance Committee, promisec1. cooperation in
keepin.g the irrigation fu.ncls from fe;llins: victim to the comwil' s
pruning shears.
)VIT. HOLLY:iJOOD
JANUARY 9 was also a ban..'l.er day for Griffith )?ark. The Re-
creation and Parks Commission voted, 3-2, to re,ject a scheme to turn
the top of Nt . into 2. junior n::sneylanc'l.. An encouraging
note during the discussion the park enunciated by
one of the co=ission's nem members, Pat:dcia Voting to
kill the aerial tramway were Mrs. Horto.n, Delaney and James
Madrid. Favoring co=ercializa tio.n of the par Icc's highest peak were
President A. E . El'lgland and Brad Pye Jr.
DECISION EXPECTED ON HIGH SIERRA
WILL CA!1P HIGH SIERRA, formerly the city's most inspiring fam-
ily camp site, be placed o.n the auction blo.ck and forever lo.st to. the
pe.o.ple? A decision is. expected Jan, 16 at the Recrea tio.n and Parks
Co.mmissio.n meeting, Room 505 City Hap, 10 a.m.
On Oct. 27, 1966, the commi.ssion made the follo.wing pledge
With regard to. Camp High Sierra: ''Gampin::; facilities presently op-
erated by the city will no.t only be co.ntinued., but will be expanded."
The coJ:nmissio.n. UJ:ianimously stated. that it "wantecl to stress as em-
phatically as possible i.ts co.mplete suppo.rt of the present program
and to assure organizations and individuals that it do every-
thing within its power to expand the operatio.n."
WILL THE CONNISSION honor that. pledge?
PROGRESS' REPORT
STADIUN WAY - Since July 10, 1967, City Engineer Lyle Pard.ee
has ignored the Bo.ard of l"v.blic 1-Jorks' dirGctive to. return the right-
ot--way on Stadium Tifay to the Recreatio.n and Parks Dept. Whe.ts hap-
pened. to the vaunted, "governl!lent of la\'\TS" which. is supposed. to. be the
corrt<2>rstone o.t democracy?
DPJI.INAGE. --: Last year 435,000 was included in the budget to
provide d:ralnage f.o:r one block of Stadium Ttlay to prevent. further loss
of trees. To date no contract has been let.
PROGRESS TN REVERSE
PUBLIC LIBRARY -- Next time yo.u l.ook, you'll pro.bably see a
brand .ne1-r parking lo.t west o.f the library buildins, facing
Asphalt wiJ..l replace grass
. BOATING IN .THE PAHK The plan to demolish MacArthur Park's
boatho.use is yet another example o.f wrong-way policy. Recreation and
Parks is miscast in the ro.le .oi: mo.ney-maker. That is no.t its func-
tion. It. shov.ld,. rather, set about convincing short-sighted city o.f-
f.icials. o.f what the people know full well; Even there is no
financial gain,. rec:reatl.o.n :tacili ties and o.pon space are an essential,
not a frill.