Teen group takes critical look at Modesto parks. Share your ideas on safety, shade and more
As teenagers gathered at a west Modesto park to talk about making such places better, they could see examples of what’s good and what’s bad.
The Park Youth Committee visited with The Modesto Bee on Wednesday under a picnic shelter at Robertson Road Park. In the distance, younger kids climbed and swung on fairly new playground equipment. But they also could see litter on the ground and obscene graffiti on the structure.
“This is just so unstable for the development of children, being surrounded by these words,” said member Belle Garza, who just finished her freshman year at Gregori High School.
The committee has been examining safety, amenities and related issues since last summer. The members plan to present their findings on citywide needs to the City Council in the fall.
The committee is a project of the Tuolumne River Trust, which advocates for this waterway and for recreation in general. It got a $200,000 grant from the All Children Thrive program at the California Department of Public Health.
This is the second cohort of committee members, from five high schools in the Modesto area. The first served from July 2022 to March.
Since April, current members have spoken with city park managers and surveyed residents about their needs. Meetings on June 9 and 10 will provide for more public input.
The effort happens as city coffers get a boost from the Measure H sales tax, approved by voters in November. The proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 directs about $10 million of the new income to the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Department.
Park maintenance and upgrades will be a major part of the new spending, Nathan Houx, park planning and development manager for the city, said in an email Friday.
Richer and poorer areas
The committee has focused on four of the city’s parks, comparing two in low-income neighborhoods with two in wealthier areas. James Marshall Park in west Modesto is on the lower end along with Robertson Road. At the upper end are Graceada Park, in an older central neighborhood, and Freedom Park, amid newer homes in the northeast.
Committee member Angelica Aguilar is about to be a senior at Modesto High School. “Being a west side resident, I grew up in lots of these lower-income parks,” she said. “As I’ve gotten older and went to more affluent parks, I clearly noticed the difference.”
Graceada Park is a gem among Modesto parks, with mature trees, a bandshell, a large play structure, tennis courts and more. Handsome homes from the early 1900s line it.
Freedom Park is about half a mile west of Claus Road. It has a large expanse of grass, a moderate amount of shade, a playground, a picnic shelter and a splash pad for kids.
Marshall is in another older part of town, with good shade, a splash pad and playground, and lots of lawn.
Robertson Road Park has a soccer field and basketball courts along with the playground and picnic shelter. The committee met on an afternoon in the low 80s, no problem for the boys shooting hoops about 50 feet away.
That kind of exercise is welcome after the rigors of the school year, said Modesto High senior Citlalit Alvarez, the project lead for the Trust.
“Parks are a really great outlet for mental health,” she said. “Even now you can see people playing basketball, and that really helps them de-stress.”
Parks can be scary, too
Modesto has a rich history of parks, including a policy in recent decades of building them next to new schools.
But committee members said families might steer clear of parks that feel unsafe. They mentioned trashed restrooms, poor lighting, stray dogs and discarded liquor bottles and cigarette butts.
Mihir Mathai, soon to be a Gregori sophomore, noted positives about the parks amid all of that.
“It’s good for wildlife and the environment,” he said, “and it’s also a good way to get away from screen time.”
The committee recognizes that many homeless people use the parks, too, said Hilary Beardsley, who oversees it as Central Valley program manager for the Trust.
Members have learned how police officers now team with mental health clinicians on certain calls. They also have seen a new program where unarmed park rangers deal with illegal camps and other concerns.
Houx is among the city officials who has worked with the teens.
“It has been exciting to see the youth take an interest in their local parks, and we have been supportive throughout the process,” he said. “We believe that the results will help us as we plan for the future of our park system in Modesto.”
Eight core members
The committee has eight core members, along with four from the first cohort who offer advice in the role of “youth ally.”
The other core members are:
Sara Beltran Hernandez, soon to be a senior at Enochs High School
Martin Montez, entering sophomore year at Gregori
Taylor McGuire, an incoming sophomore at Central Valley High School in Ceres
Daphane Zuniga, soon to be a senior at Central Valley.
The youth allies from the first cohort graduated in May and will help out until leaving for college or other pursuits. They are Kassandra Delgado from Modesto High and Gregori grads Tejas Mathai, Manav Kumar and Noah Wong.
Details on the upcoming public meetings on park needs:
Friday, June 9, 10 a.m, at the King-Kennedy Memorial Center, 601 Martin Luther King Drive
Saturday, June 10, part of Family Park Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at James Marshall Park, 440 Sutter Ave.
Along with the Measure H money, the city landed a pair of $8.5 million state grants to upgrade two other west Modesto parks. Cesar Chavez Park will get a swimming pool, soccer field, skateboard plaza and other amenities. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park will have a gymnasium, lighted sports fields, splash pad, event stage and more.
