Fullerton Observer and the Whitewash of UP Park History
I new it was coming. Following fast upon the proverbial heels of a deliberately misleading City press release, the Kennedy Sister named Sanka regurgitated the same bullshit about the Union Pacific Park.
The headline says it all:
“Union Pacific Park Project Makes Progress Toward Long-Awaited Opening After 22 Years”
No, Siaska, the Union Pacific Park was already built and open 20 years ago. True, the site was contaminated – purchased by the City without due diligence – and was remediated.
But hey, why stop the lies coming? The park had been a gathering ground for gangs, drunks, and junkies. The City, under City Manager Chris Meyers and his successors, demolished the toilets and kept the fence surrounding the park in place. Why? Because due to social pathologies the place was an embarrassing multi-million dollar fiasco. The less said the better, and nothing said, better yet, for the masterminds of the disaster.
According to Kennedy, the site was so disrupted by the remediation it became useless, a statement that is a false. When the toxic stuff was discovered it covered less than half the park. The rest was wide open. Siska intentionally fails to explain the real reasons the park was completely closed after remediation: misuse, abuse and law breaking. The neighbors across Truslow Avenue complained.
Sometime after 2011 a fence was put up around the whole park and it had nothing to do with soils remediation. It was a reaction to the dystopian park. There has been plenty of opportunity in the past 15 years to re-open the park. Nobody wanted it re-opened. No one, that is, until Fred Jung, Nick Dunlap, and Bruce Whitaker voted to do that a couple years ago. But of course no accountability for the decades long disaster needed to be pursued. That wouldn’t be the Fullerton Way.
The solution now at Parks and Rec and its Fullerton Observers, is to pretend that because of the toxic contamination there has never really been a park, and that this “beloved neighborhood space” is finally being opened to cries of enthusiasm from all. That’s another lie.
Skakia remembers an ad hoc UP Park committee but ignores the fact that it withered away without doing anything. No plans reviewed contemplated a Kaboom Park.
Then Skansia shares this jargon-filled gem: “These surveys (Ed. done by no one knows who, no one knows when, participated in by someone, somewhere) highlighted safety and engaging programming as primary concerns, aligning with the broader goal of enhancing neighborhood security through increased recreational opportunities.” Probably the same useless patter uttered by City Hall Parks Department bureaucrats in 1999, and identical to the same wishful thinking that supported the recent Trail to Nowhere boondoggle.
Ah, yes! Positivity springs eternal in the precincts of Fullerton City Hall, and Sanskia concludes her drivel with a pathos-meringue filled appeal to hope and glory: “…the upcoming renovations aim to transform it into a vibrant community hub that fosters pride and engagement among residents. The goal is to create a safe, inviting environment that enhances the overall quality of life in the neighborhood.“
UP Park will be a great place to shoot up in again.
You play pickleball Mr. Junkie? You’ll have the opportunity between trips.
Can’t wait to play with the kids and let them sit on my lap. My friend Ahmad told me it will be a target rich environment.
Kinko!
Thought we ran you out of town!
It’s truly astounding that no one bothered to learn the real history of what happened at this place and how many millions were completely wasted. And now they’re starting all over again although nothing has changed.
Maybe Jung figures he’ll be gone before the park is closed again when one of the gentrifying pickle ballers is mugged or another junkie is murdered.
Thanks for this history. No one wants to hear about the borrachos and FTTers who used to congregate at the park, or the junkies who shot up in to little toilet building.
Fullerton being Fullerton.
The photograph you shared of U.P. Park appears to have been captured sometime between 2011 and 2012. In this image, the temporary fencing left both the bathroom and the gazebo accessible, and the concrete and decomposed granite trail was still intact. However, it is noticeable that certain areas adjacent to the U.P. Phase One trail were fenced off, which seems unusual and warrants further inquiry.
Several questions arise from this observation. What was the city’s motivation for fencing off these specific areas? Was there a particular plan or reason that wasn’t adequately communicated to the public? Moreover, the subsequent removal of the trail and the demolition of structures like the bathroom and gazebo have left the park in a state of disarray, creating a mess rather than an improvement. It begs the question: Does anyone at City Hall truly understand the sequence of events that led to this outcome?
It’s evident that the Observer has overlooked the park’s history, failing to question the decisions that led to its current state. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Zahra voted to transfer the park to a special events catering banquet center. These actions underscore the need for greater transparency and accountability from the city regarding the park’s development and the reasons behind these significant changes.
You sound a little like Sweet Youthful Elijah, except a lot smarter.
Thanks for the reminder. I added a photo showing the part of the park that was left open – until Joe Felz sobered up enough to fence around the whole thing.
Fullerton being Fullerton. Prove me wrong.
How may kids do you think live in that decrepit neighborhood? I never see anyone out over there. And what the hell would you ever need a trail from one park to another park?
The Kaboom park is unlikely to succeed, as there are very few children residing in that neighborhood.
The City should save the money and give us better food at Theo Lacy. Fulas kids prefer to play fort in abandoned cars and hovels left from the night-riders.