Bakersfield park riddled with crime, state officials and community members work to restore it

IT USED TO BE A PLACE FOR FAMILYGATHERINGS, BUT IN RECENT YEARS,MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK INSOUTHEAST BAKERSFIELD HABECOME A HOTSPOT FOR CRIME ANDLITTER.

THAT'SCOUNCILMEMBER ERIC ARIAS,ASSEMBLYMAN RUDY SALAS, ANDTHE MLK COMMUNITY INITIATIVE AREWORKINGTOGETHER TO TRY AND CHANGETHINGS23ABC'S KRISTIN VARTAN JOINS USLIVE FROM DOWNTOWNBAKERSFIELD TO TELL US ABOUT ANUPCOMING LOCAL EVENT WITH THEGOAL TO HELP RESTORE THE PARK'SIMAGEWHEN YOU THINK OF NEIGHBORHOODPARKS, YOU THINKOF WHAT YOU SEE BEHIND ME--GRASSY AREAS WHERE YOU COMWITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS TO PICNICOR PLAY SOCCER.

IT'S SOMETHINGAN MLK COMMUNITY ACTIVISTRECALLS OF MARTINLUTHER KING PARK, AND SOMETHINGSHE IS WORKING HARTO PERSONALLY RETURN TO."IT ONCE WAS A BEAUTIFUL SPACE,AGREEN SPACE TO BE.

FAMILIESWOULD HAVE COOKOUTS, CHILDRENWOULD BE PLAYING ONTHE PLAYGROUNDS, THERE WOULD BEBASEBALL GAMES, SOCCER...AND ICOULDGO AND SIT, AS A SENIOR CITIZEN,AND READ A BOOK."THAT'S HOW 76-YEAR-OLD COMMUNITYACTIVIST,EMPREZZ NONTZIKELELO RECALLS THEMLK PARK INSOUTHEAST BAKERSFIELD, WHICH ISONLY TWO BLOCKSFROM WHERE SHE LIVES.

SHE GREWUP THERE AND EVEN SAW THEPARK EVEN BEING BUILT.

BUT IT'SNO LONGER THE PLACE SHE ORCITY COUNCIL MEMBER ERIC ARIAS,REMEMBERS."WE WANT TO SEE SOME CHANGE.SOMEOF THE VIOLENCE WE'VE SEEN ATTHAT PARK.

IT'S DEEPLYDISTURBING,HORRIFYING.

WE'VE TAKEN A LOOKAT THOSE NUMBERS."SPEAKING OF THOSE NUMBERS, IT'SBEEN A COMMON PLACETO VISIT FOR THE BAKERSFIELDPOLICE DEPARTMENT ASTHEY'VE RESPONDED TO 58 CRIMESIN THAT AREA IN 2021,RANGING FROM LOUD MUSIC TOSHOOTINGS."IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT MORELIGHTINGOUT THERE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIXTHAT WALKWAY WHERE THE ASPHALTIS CRUMBLING.

IT IS IMPORTANT TOCLEAN IT UP AND PUT THE MONEYTHERE.

SOFAMILIES CAN FEEL HOPEFUL ANDHAPPY AGAIN AND I CAN GO THEREAGAIN.THAT'S WHY ARIAS, ASSEMBLYMANRUDY SALAS, AND THE MLKCOMMUNITY INITIATIVE HAVE THEMLK WALKING GROUP AT THEPARK THIS SATURDAY FROM 10 TO11:30 AM.ARIAS' TEAM AND PEOPLE LIKENONTZIKELELO FROM THE MLKCOMMUNITY INITIATIVE HAVE BEENGOING TO DOOR,CANVASSING IN THE SURROUNDINGNEIGHBORHOTO MAKE SURE THOSE DIRECTLYAFFECTED BY THE FATE OF THE PARKARE THE ONES THAT SHOW UP TO THEEVENT.

BUT ARIAS SAYS ALLARE WELCOME."LET'S SHARE THAT SAFE SPACE,TALKABOUT THE STORIES OF MAYBE HOWSOME OF US HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BYTHEVIOLENCE THERE, AND TALK ABOUTHOW WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER,MAYBESOME OF THE STEPS WE NEED TOTAKE IN ORDER TO REALLY BEAUTIFYTHE AREA,AND REDUCE THE VIOLENCE WE'VESEENARIAS HOPES THIS WILL BE THEFIRST OF WHAT HE HOPES WILLMONTHLY WALKING GROUPEVENTS--MODELING IT AFTER THEGREENFIELD PARK'S INITIATIVE,THAT HE SAYS HAS BEEN VERYSUCCESSFUL IN CHANGING THAT PARKFOR THE BETTER."IT'S GOING TO BE COMMUNITY LED,ABSOLUTELY SO IF IT'S GOING TOTURN INTO A GROUP THAT GOES INAND CLEANS UPTRASH, OR GIVES OUT FOOD MONTH,OR EVEN ZUMBA CLASSES, LIKEGREENFIELDWALKING GROUP, SHOUTOUT TOTHEM."AND I DID ASK ARIAS IF CITYCOUNCIL IS MAKING ANSTRIDES TO PUT MONEY INTO THEPARK.

HE SAYS WHILE THEBUDGET FOR MEASURE N HAS NOTBEEN FINALIZED YET BYCITY COUNCIL,THERE IS PROPOSED MONEY THATWOULD GO TOWARD TWOREINVENTION PLANS FOR LOCALPARKS.

IF THAT GOES THROUGHHE'S ADVOCATING FOR SOME OF THATMONEY TO GO TOWARD MLKPARK AS WELL AS THE MLKCOMMUNITY CENTER, ALEX.AND KRISTIN WHEN WOULD THATBUDGET BE FINALIZED?KRISTIN:HE SAYS THAT THEY'LL BE DOING ADEEP DIVE INTO THAT BUDGET OFTHE NEXT ONE OR TWO MONTHS.

ANDHE HOPES TO ADVOCATE FOREVEN MORE MONEY.LIVE IN DOWNTOWN BAKERSFIELD,KRISTIN VARTAN23ABC NEWS CONNECTING YOU.