For an explorer who never made it to California, Christopher Columbus has sparked plenty of controversy in San Jose lately.
You can expect the latest to center around Columbus Park, a 10-acre site just south of Mineta San Jose International Airport that has quite a history over the past 75 years. But its future will be determined by a “reimagining” project — launched by the city’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department — that includes potentially changing the name of the park, removing its association with the maligned European explorer.
That would follow the removal of a Columbus statue from San Jose City Hall in 2018 and the city switching its Columbus Day holiday in October for Indigenous People’s Day in 2020.
A survey, available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, asking residents if they want to keep or ditch the current name — and their proposal for a new name — is open through April 22 at www.bit.ly/ColumbusPark1. The survey page also includes a link to the project’s website, which has more information about the plan and the park’s history and how to register for a community meeting being held online about the project May 12.
After being largely undeveloped or used for agriculture for most of San Jose’s history, the city bought the area — bounded by Taylor, Irene, Asbury and Walnut streets — for a future park in 1944. But following World War II, the city used the site as a space for emergency housing for returning veterans, placing 100 temporary trailers in what was called “Victory Village.” In 1947, prompted by calls from the Italian American community, the city council voted to name it Columbus Park.
The park was largely completed in the 1950s and ’60s, with additions in later years, and its hosted countless softball games, volleyball matches, pick-up basketball and even horseshoe throwing. But the neighborhood to its north was cleared out starting in 1980s, and today the area is dotted with tents and encampments — basically a return to its role as emergency housing but without the temporary trailers or city backing.
The Italian American Heritage Foundation in San Jose, which argued against removing the Columbus statue and changing the city holiday, isn’t happy about this potential change. Dana Zuccarello, the foundation’s president, pointed to the park’s long history as a community resource and hoped their community isn’t “railroaded” as she feels that’s what happened with the city hall statue. Ken Borelli, a past president of the organization, suggested that if the city removes Columbus’ name, it would be appropriate to honor another Italian American with strong San Jose ties, A.P. Giannini, founder of the Bank of Italy, which became Bank of America.
LAWRENCE’S FANS GATHERING: The public is invited to a celebration of life April 9 at CEFCU Stadium for Lawrence Fan, San Jose State University’s longtime sports information director who died in February.
The lineup of speakers at the 10 a.m. service are certainly worth of a guy who lived and breathed Spartan Athletics during his 42 years with SJSU. It includes football coach Brent Brennan, former Athletic Director Tom Bowen, former Spartans water polo player Sierra Painter, ESPN basketball writer Marc J. Spears, Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy, and SJSU alum and sports sociologist Harry Edwards.
For anyone who can’t make it in person Saturday morning, the service will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and on San Jose State Athletics Twitter page, @SJSUAthletics.
WALKING WITH PURPOSE: Downtown San Jose is fortunate to have a growing collection of murals, memorials and monuments, and many of them aren’t just pretty to look at but carry a message. That’s the theme behind “Public Art as Resistance,” an ongoing project by San Jose State’s College of the Humanities and Arts that includes a trio of walking tours on April 10.
There are three tours being offered, ranging from 2.6 miles to 3.2 miles, that start and end at the “Arch of Dignity, Equality and Justice” on campus, better known as the Cesar Chavez monument on the Seventh Street paseo. You can read more about the project or sign up for one of the tours Sunday at www.sjsu.edu/ha-public-art-tour. Each tour is limited to 20 participants, so if you miss the cut, you can also take a self-guided tour using the website’s resources.
Source: www.mercurynews.com