HMMMMM? WHAT CAN IT MEAN?
Here's what Fullerton resident and Return to Reason Daily Pilot managing editor Brady Rhoades wrote on his DP blog:
"And I thought of the City Council banning soccer at Paularino Park, a not-so-subtle move — errant soccer balls are dangerous, some said — to drive out Latino illegals and Latino citizens, never mind the difference." LINK
And, here's what Humberto Caspa has reportedly written in his book "TERROR IN THE BARRIO"
"Costa Mesa's intention was to implement ordinances to drive away Latinos, and that's what they did."They're trying to institute discrimination through the government, like prohibiting soccer at Paularino Park - that's a disgrace." LINK to CM PRESS # 350
Coincidence?
HERE'S THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER:
1. Making Paularino Park safe for its intended purposes was not about Latinos or any other ethnic group.
2. Soccer was the focus of the complaints because that's what was going on.
3. Had there been teams of Swedes playing American style football in the park, and urinating and defecating there, among other things, the complaints would have been the same.
For those who want a longer explanation, here it is:
Paularino Park is a very small, long, narrow alley of land that is squeezed between Paularino School and homes. It looks as though the developer of the tract ended up with a portion of the tract that was too small to put in another street with homes, so the land was deeded over to the city which called it a "park." And, that's pretty much how this park came to be. LINK to City website info about parks
This small alley of a park has no room for sports fields and it was never intended for this use.
Some people who do not want to be good neighbors, including some who were apparently from other cities, simply took over the park and played soccer there in total disregard for the rights and safety of others.
Because of the configuration of the park, soccer and similar games blocked the only sidewalk in the park and kept others from entering the park unless they wanted to walk right through the middle of the sports events. Think, walking across the Farm Complex when there are soccer games going on.
On at least one occasion, soccer players actually demanded that two women get off the sidewalk because by walking on the only sidewalk in the park, they were in the middle of the soccer game.
Those who braved the soccer games and who took their toddlers to the tot lot in the center of the park were often rushing to keep those toddlers from being hit with soccer balls or being run over by soccer players.
Some homeowners whose homes back up to the park reported that adult soccer players would often climb over their back walls to retrieve soccer balls.
There is no restroom in the park and one isn't needed because most people who use the park live nearby and have bathrooms in their homes. Many of the soccer players apparently did not live nearby and used the park itself as their bathroom.
Every tree, every bush and every piece of playground equipment, that blocked the view of passing motorists, became a potential urinal. Neighbors complained of men urinating against their walls. The tot lot sand also often reeked of urine.
As we reported before, at least one child slid down the covered slide in the tot lot right through human feces on the slide.
Soccer balls were often kicked into the middle of busy Paularino Avenue and some hit cars and distracted drivers. We know of one case where a driver had to do a panic stop and narrowly missed a soccer player who had suddenly run into the street in front of his car.
And, while soccer was the main problem, the City also banned any other similar sports which, if played there, would cause similar problems. It had nothing to do with Latinos or soccer, per se. It had to do with making the park safe and usable for its intended purposes.
How is the park doing now that it's passive? Families with small kids are coming back and the park is being used by more people than ever. Gone is the terror and fear of being struck by balls or running players.
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MORE ON CASPA PROMOTING HIS BOOK AT OCC
According to our sources, Professor Juani Funez-Gonzalez, who received her B.A. at the Universidad del Norte in Chile and her M.A. and Ph.D at UCI, invited Caspa to speak about his book in her class which was also open to the public on 5/1/08. Ms. Funez-Gonzalez had, also according to our sources, received permission from Dean Paul Asim, to allow the talk. LINK
Early word that we've received indicates that Caspa mentioned us more than once in his talk.
As of press time, neither Funez-Gonzalez nor Asim have answered our emails asking for additional information.
--DEVELOPING--
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