Perhaps some in the city of Sacramento have been tasked with making talk of transfer of the park from the city to the county just go away. Some have tried to make it sound like “there’s nothing that could be done” to change the situation.
Really?
It seems like maybe they would just like to “put this issue to bed”.
Sorry to tell you this, but
WE ARE NOT JUST GOING TO GIVE UP AND GO AWAY
So, here’s a bedtime story for those feel tempted to try “to say goodnight” to us and all of our requests… and tell us to go away.
“The Peninsula With No Name”
-written by someone who cares about a park that’s been neglected
When it comes to East Del Paso Park, what do Councilmember Sean Loloee and Supervisor Phil Serna have in common? They both represent a “no man’s land”. An area of land that extends into unincorporated communities that’s affectionately called “the peninsula”. But it’s not a peninsula like an Italian vacation land or a San Francisco Bay Area retreat… It’s a once-upon-a-time lovely area, that has become a forgotten place where lonely city parks go to their final resting spot before they die.
What do we mean by that? Well, the boundaries of both Serna and Loloee’s districts each encompass this strip of land- which is actually a PARK- where not a single constituent voting for either one of them resides. So who are they representing in this “no man’s land” area of both their respective districts?
The poor little peninsula might be having an identity crisis. “Who am I? Who represents me? Am I part of the city…? Or am I part of the county…? Some people say I belong to the city- but, boy, I sure don’t feel like it…”
“Who’s this Phil Serna guy? Is he my adoptive father? I heard he took me completely in after County redistricting- but where do I fit in when it comes to him? Where do I belong? Is anyone going to tuck me in at night… who’s saving for my college education? Why do I only hear from the people that know this guy named Desmond??? He told me he wishes he could help me—but he can’t because I’m not actually part of his family either. At least he spends time checking in and asking questions.”
The poor little lost peninsula. No place to call home. No one to love him or care for him. What is a little piece of parkland with no place to call home to do? Isn’t somebody responsible?
He’s “The Peninsula With No Name”
Do peninsulas have feelings? What does it feel like to be the D2 Peninsula- we are guessing it must feel very invalidating…. unwanted and forgotten…a peninsula with no name. He’s almost illegitimate. Nobody looking out for him. No one who really cares or calls him their own.
Well, since parks can’t actually talk, and strips of land can’t tell us how they feel- we’ll have to dig a little deeper. What do the elected officials who “represent” this area say about it? (Hint: no one who voted for either one of them lives there)
Let’s start with Supervisor Serna’s First District Description- maybe that might be where the peninsula belongs. Let’s see:
“The First District includes the Sacramento International Airport as well as McClellan Business Park, and many of the region's most established neighborhoods such as
Downtown, North Sacramento, Oak Park, and Curtis Park where I grew up.”
“Geographically, the district encompasses 112 square miles and extends from the Sacramento-Sutter County line south to Florin Road east of Power Inn Road, and from the Sacramento River east to stretches of Watt Avenue.”
The Peninsula says, “Wait! east to stretches of Watt Avenue? Aren’t I east of Watt?”
Let’s see what City Councilmember Loloee says…
“District 2 encompasses the neighborhoods of Robla, Northpointe, Glenwood Meadows, Youngs Heights, East Del Paso Heights, Village Green, Parker Homes, Del Paso Heights, Oak Knoll, Norwood Tech, West Del Paso Heights, Norwood I-80, Johnson Heights, Hagginwood, Strawberry Manor, South Hagginwood, Richardson Village, Wills Acres, Noralto, Old North Sacramento, and Woodlake.”
Was the Del Paso Park Peninsula east of Watt mentioned there? No, sadly he’s not. He feels like the last kid picked for the baseball team, left out again, rejected—not given an invitation to the party.
Let’s see what Supervisor Desmond says:
“The peninsula area is represented by Sacramento City Councilmember Sean Loloee and Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna. I represent the unincorporated residents and businesses surrounding the peninsula.” ~Rich Desmond
“Finally! Some actual people and a neighborhood to call my own! They know me because they see me every day! They care about what happens to me- even said they want to help take care of me and will tuck me in at night!”
We just might have found a loving home for this little park! Someone who cares and wants to adopt him. They will help him become the best park he can be. The unincorporated county community surrounding the peninsula desperately wants to take him in—and call him their very own. He’s no longer a “Peninsula Without a Name”.
He’s “Del Paso Park East” in Sacramento County. And guess what? When they took him in, the peninsula was absorbed right into the existing community surrounding him. And everyone lived happily ever after.
The End.
Well, maybe it’s not quite that simple- but you get the idea.
Will the story of “Del Paso Park East” have our happy conclusion in real life too?
Now that our readers have all heard it, let’s see if our leaders have actually listened to our story—-and let’s see if they have fallen asleep—or not.