Chime In
The arrival at the quiet California Heights neighborhood was a decision to pick your type of fruit: either Orange or Cherry Avenue. The sun peaked through the shaded tunnel created by the canopy of Camphor trees lining Gundry Avenue. It’s completely different here. At the Spanish Colonial Revival home several white archways stood prominently in the front lawn. Openness in the architectural form allowed sunshine on the porch decorated with potted plants. Mike Donelon’s German Boxer greeted me on its hind legs behind the gate. The simple metal latch opened to the driveway alongside the custom built home with a Spanish tile roof. The soft wind blew on the chimes hanging from the white popup canopy just outside the garage filled with years of memories.
Mike said, “Help yourself to what’s in the mini-refrigerator.” I’d crack open a Dr. Pepper. A Bud-Light was in his can Koosie. A few slightly curled baseball and river photographs were placed on the uninsulated two-by-four framework. The neon Bud-Light sign was off. It was too beautiful to be inside anyway.
Gathered around a frosted glass table, Mike and his wife Kris had many stories to tell about living in Southern California. Mike took a dip in his blue above ground pool. He came back with a towel around his shoulders to discuss the petition drive to rename the 14th Street Skate Park located in the first district as Michael K. Green Skate Park. Mike being a former assembly member worked with Bonnie Lowenthal and Robert Garcia to facilitate the local community’s ardent request. One thousand signatures would be needed to be acquired to pass the measure in the Long Beach government.
When Ms. King arrived at Mike’s home we all went inside to his office. Mike laid down the game plan in the most direct and effective way to rename the skate park. There is a fire ax mounted on the wall and a skateboard plaque on the floor. His colorful bifocals are off after he read a document from the desktop computer. Kris and Ms. King sit on the pink blanket covering the brown couch with their feet planted on the berber carpeting. They’re fully invested in what Mike has to say. Kris’ hands are folded together as if this is a prayer meeting. It’s going to take hard work combing the 90813 area for signatures of support and a miracle for the government to pass the measure. Nobody knew what was going to happen. Everyone worked together.
Behind every successful man is a wise woman. Over the years of building skateparks, Kris saw it all happen with her husband Mike. She summarized the beautiful movement for the weak and less fortunate by saying, “It’s the best park in the worst neighborhood and it was made with love”. Kris went on to say that “Love started it and love ended it. And everyone did it for nothing.”
Her words gave me a revelation vision with the premise: God is love. The book of Revelation states, “He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.'” God gave us our beginning and end. He was with us during these documentary times. Kris attributed the success to something immensely greater than all of us. When the credits rolled it would be all about love and nothing less.
The 14th Street Skate Park was first redesigned by young skateboarders at George Washington Middle School. They affectionately called their skate plaza “Ghetto Park” that was first built in 2001. The parcel of land where these kids congregate to skate is apart of the 14th Street greenbelt that runs from Long Beach Boulevard to Magnolia Avenue.