Community cleanup day at Wildwood Park

One measure of a city’s quality of life is its open spaces that promote social inclusion and interaction among the community. It behooves a city to maintain those green open spaces, and the city of San Bernardino is working diligently with neighborhood associations to improve its park infrastructure.

On Saturday morning members of the Wildwood Park Neighborhood Association, with support from the North End Neighborhood Association and the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department, convened at Wildwood Park with shovels and rakes to clean, beautify and reclaim their space.

“The parks belong to the community and it’s important as residents to participate in events such as these to make it nice and be proud of,” said Patti Pruitt, WPNA board member. “This park, in particular, is the last stop before motorists go up the mountain, and it showcases San Bernardino, which is why it’s important to maintain it.”

According to WPNA President Tony Marzullo, the park has deteriorated in the years, but they have recently reclaimed it by partnering with the city to install 10 LED lights that flood the park throughout the night, and 10 surveillance cameras to discourage nighttime mischief and vandalism.

Ken Pruitt, a life-long resident of San Bernardino, expressed frustration of the litter in city parks. In particular Tom Gould Park which he drives by each day. Pruitt has taken it upon himself to visit the park each morning before work to pick up trash.

“It’s no good to complain when you don’t do anything, like a lot of people do,” Pruitt said. “If we don’t take charge of our own community, no one will.”

Parks & Rec. Interim Director Jim Tickemyer, well acquainted with the neighborhood association members, and his team worked alongside the community in the cleanup effort.

“It’s great to see the public get involved with Parks and taking pride in their park,” Tickemyer said. “It’s evident here the effect that events such as these have to the overall presentation of the space.”

According to Tickemyer, when improvements are completed at Wildwood Park, which is expected to be in the near future, the Parks department will focus its revitalization efforts on Seccombe Lake Park. Some of those may include a brand new playground set courtesy of KaBOOM, a vegetable garden overseen by Norton Elementary, and a new fence for added security.

For more information on current and future projects of the Parks & Rec. Department, please call (909) 384-5233 or visit the city’s website at www.ci.san-bernardino.ca.us.