Too few parks to honor worthies

June Casagrande

The problem with naming parks after residents who’ve made important

contributions to the city is a good problem to have: Newport’s

extraordinary residents past and present are far more numerous than

the parks that can fit in the city.

That’s the thinking behind a proposed ordinance to forbid the city

from naming future parks in honor of noteworthy residents, even if

those residents are of the stature of the late Rosalind Williams.

The city has received an outpouring of support for a move by

Williams’ widower, Rick John, to name a future park after her, noting

her accomplishments in helping turn Newport Beach into a world-known

tourist destination. Williams, former president and chief executive

of the Conference and Visitors Bureau is widely regarded as the

driving force behind revitalizing the bureau and attracting millions

a year in tax dollars to Newport Beach. She died in 2000 of

complications from breast cancer.

“She kind of paved the way to put Newport Beach as a tourism

destination on the map,” said John, who last year asked the city’s

Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission to keep Rosalind in mind

when they develop future parks. “And she touched so many people in

her personal life and her business life.”

In John’s request and in a some subsequent talk of naming a park

after Irrelevant Week creator Paul Salata, commissioners saw a

Pandora’s box.

“We will have far less parks and buildings than we have amazing

people in this community,” said Marie Knight, the city’s director of

recreation and senior services.

Just last month, a park in Corona del Mar was dedicated in honor

of Arnold Beckman for his 103rd birthday.

After talking with Williams’ family, city officials decided to

consider a plan to change the way the city names parks to prevent the

potential avalanche of similarly requests.

“The commission’s concern was basically, how do we measure one

person’s contribution over another’s? Do we really want to do that?”

Knight said.

John said that his family is sympathetic to the city’s situation

and that he plans to find some other way of honoring her under

whatever rules are finally decided on.

Knight said that the city still has plenty of opportunities to

recognize extraordinary community members, including on park benches

and by dedicating trees.

“Actually, this would open up opportunities by not naming a whole

park after one person, but allowing the many things within the park

to honor them,” Knight said.