First published in the July 7 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
We love Mayors’ Park. Our daughter’s childhood was filled with walks to the park to play in the grass and race boats in the fountain.
It’s quiet, secure and gated. You can blink without losing your child. There’s not another park like it.
Lately, we’ve fallen in love with it all over again. Not in the same way since my daughter is now 27, but because it is special with trees, grass and a beautiful flowering arbor. Each visit, we find birthdays, families playing baseball who depend on it for their smaller children, or those who just want a quiet conversation with a friend. It really is a park to love.
It’s not a dog park where families watch their dogs with other dogs, but it is a space where a family goes to play with their dog. Families set up soccer games, play hide and seek, and engage in creative play.
Last week, my family played Frisbee, I read, and another man played with his dogs. I like that. It’s the kind of park where people can simultaneously create entertainment. We’ve met people there for many different reasons: for play, quiet, meals, parties and dog walks. I think that is what a park should do-serve many people in many ways.
When we heard we might lose Mayors’ Park, we were devastated. This park reflects perfectly what makes La Cañada special and unique-it’s small, private, and easy to walk to. It exemplifies the intimate and unique character of our small town in a way that can’t be found elsewhere. I know the city is considering taking part, or the entire park out for a single sport. I know the sport is popular. But the cost, and loss would be too great from impact on a busy intersection, L.C.’s climate action plan, the peace of the surrounding neighborhood, and most importantly, a beloved space. We would all miss it.
Maura Brown
La Cañada Flintridge
