Ladyville resident wants to rehabilitate Family Park

Lack of recreational space for children is always a problem. In Ladyville where the population has been growing, the residents are clamoring for help to rebuild a park that needs urgent attention after years of neglect. Their plea tonight is to the business community or anyone else who can help.  News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

The park in the Michelle Estate area of Ladyville has been neglected for years, so one resident who is tired of seeing kids play on the broken fixtures, is leading efforts to give the park a facelift. Orin Velasquez says he is reaching out to the business community for help.

Orin Velasquez, Ladyville Resident

Orin Velasquez

“This is supposed to be a second home fi di lee youths dehn, wah place weh dehn could come out and have fun and do wah lee recreation time. I currently di ask di business people—mainly di business people dehn eena dis community ya—fi help wid assist wid di reconstruction of the park. I noh ask fi me, I di ask fi di youths dehn. I noh di ask fi nothing monetary, I di ask the business people dehn, come een, have a look pan di park and si how your business could contribute.”

Albert Bailey, Ladyville Resident

“At least bout ten years or more dis park deh like dis so dah wah very long time. But, like I seh, nobody di pay no attention to it. even di parents dem, dehn noh think about di safety of the children, the older heads can’t come out because there’s nothing sensible for them to accommodate their children with, they just have to stand up round and round. Then we have some of the guys them, the younger generation, dehn just come een and try to break up everything.”

Lincoln Williams

Other residents in the area welcome the project and have their own ideas on the many repairs and upgrades needed in the park.

Lincoln Williams, Ladyville Resident

“Put een proper swings and things fi di kids, put een wah bathroom and so that di kids dehn stop go on dat main street to catch the school bus. Instead they can come to the park and catch the school bus and they have something to play with, have the school wardens long wid di kids so that they can get right into the bus. It’s a safer way than the major road out there. I really want to see better for the kids cause everything is for the kids right now.”

Christine Barnett, Ladyville Resident

Christine Barnett

“This park need wah lot ah work I mean the swings dehn broken up, di benches dehn noh good fi nothing again; everything. Ih need wah whole overhaul. My kids dehn always come play ova yah and den painting, ih need fi full up, ih have wah lotta holes weh dangerous fi di kids and really ih just need wah whole overhaul and we would really appreciate that.  Di guys dehn come and smoke the weed at night, you can’t si who di pass, di park need lights to stay on all night. I think wa park dah somewhere weh lights suppose to stay on all night that anybody could come out and sit down, the neighborhood could see what’s going on and whosoever is in the park and what they’re doing.”

According to Velasquez, a few businesses in Ladyville have already pledged their support, but they need more to come onboard to get all the work done. He also wants to rename the park in honor of Janessa Jones, the twelve year old girl from Ladyville, who was murdered in January of 2011.

Orin Velasquez

“So far I get wah lot ah positive feedback from the business people dehn; business people like Mr. Hugo Mendoza from EZone, he wants to help; Mr. Ian Gutierrez has assured me that he is willing to help wid wah two loads of the sand; Mr. and Mrs. Seawell from Seawell Grocery, they want to help; Mr. Perez of Perez Hardware Store, they want to help and join in. Dehn noh want come invest dehn money and den people eena di community come and graffiti up pan di wall and damage up di park and that is very understandable. I would ah like fi park name Janessa Jones Park; Janessa Jones dah wah youth from this area right up di street, she dah one ah we and I sure with the renaming of the park to Janessa Jones, the community wah have respect fi di park yoh understand, dehn noh wah come and vandalize up di park.”

The project also has the support of the village chairman and the residents say their willing to pitch in and help.

Christine Barnett

“As long as we live cross di street deh, we wah help tek care ah it too. We wah mek sure our kids noh destroy anything and you know we wah mek sure we mek good use of it because we love to play volleyball, we love to play sports, our kids crazy over sports so we would ah really, really appreciate it.”

Albert Bailey

Albert Bailey

“We have to also support it by trying to do lee fundraising and mek—because we can’t always depend on government to do things, we have to get up and fight for it fi we own self. So I deh wid di man a hundred percent if ih could get it work out. I do lee bit ah construction work, I could help do whatever, I could donate ih noh matter me cause dah fi di sake ah di children.”

Lincoln Williams

“If we see improvement that they have interest in fixing up the park, I personally will help cutting the park myself.”

Orin Velasquez

“I tired ah si di park like that and at the end ah di day, you noh have to got no kinda political agenda fi seh mein I could get up do something eena my community. You understand, you just have to have wah positive mind and wah vision and wid di help ah di good lord, everything possible.”

To support the park renovation project, Velasquez can be contacted at phone number 621-6489. Delahnie Bain for News Five.