Photo by Salvador Farfan
Rotarian and former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill (center) joined over 100 members and guests on July 26 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Long Beach. Founded in 1917, it is the oldest service club in the city, according to the local organization. Rather than its usual location aboard the Queen Mary, the group’s meeting last week took place at Rotary Centennial Park in central Long Beach to celebrate the park, which the group gave to the City in 2005. Rotarians created the park in a private-public partnership with the City that year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Rotary International. The partnership resulted in recreational open space in a densely developed, park-poor neighborhood— on Pacific Coast Highway at Junipero Avenue on what had been a Pacific Electric Red Car Railway right-of-way. Within a one-mile radius of the park site, 80 percent of residents lived in apartments without yards and there were over 22,000 children under the age of 14, according to the Rotary Club. Designed by artist and Rotarian Philip Smith and his wife, Robin Smith, concrete spheres representing planets line a meandering walkway. At the center of the walkway is a stainless-steel sundial sculpture designed, fabricated and donated by local artist Patrick Vogel, who also created the Signal Hill 9/11 Unity Monument. The Rotary Club of Signal Hill, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Long Beach in 1964, was supportive and active in the three-year planning and fundraising phase of the new park. During the recent celebration, Steve Keesal, the 101st president of the Rotary Club of Long Beach, welcomed guests who included those who participated in the early planning and creation of the park. Among them were retired Long Beach Director of Parks, Recreation & Marine Department Director Phil Hester, who was instrumental in forging the partnership with the City, and O’Neill, who, with the city council, formalized the agreement. Also in attendance was 4th District Long Beach City Councilmember Daryl Supernaw, in whose district the park is located.
Source: Rotary Club
