By Rosie Knight, Columnist
In 2010 our editor, Terelle Jerricks, wrote about the opening of the park at 22nd St and Miner. The park was only possible thanks to the work of Bea Atwood Hunt who campaigned for decades to have the fuel storage tanks that used to be there removed. The headline for that piece, which ran in our Jan 22 – Feb 4 issue read “Atwood Hunt Park Anyone?” And now over 14 years later we’re asking the same question. Despite community requests and city council conversations, the park has still yet to be renamed after the activist who made it possible. So we reached out to some prominent San Pedro politicians and leaders to ask their thoughts on the naming and why it has taken so long to give Bea Atwood Hunt her due.
In response to Random Lengths reaching out to the Board of Harbor Commissioners about the potential to change the name, their representative told us, “We’re going to have to pass on a conversation. Nothing has been presented so it would not be appropriate to discuss.”
At the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council meeting in July 2023, a board majority voted to table the motion so that the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council could take the lead given that the park is within Coastal’s boundaries. The tabled motion read:
Dear Commissioners:
The Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council supports and recognizes the contributions of our citizen activists. As such we recommend that the Park at 22nd Street be renamed to honor the legacy of this activism by naming the park after Bea Atwood Hunt who for some two decades lobbied the POLA and the Harbor Commissioners to remove the toxic chemical facilities and specifically the Union Oil Tank farm where the park now resides. Her courage and dedication to the process of civic engagement with the port for the benefit of the people of San Pedro is undeniable, as I’m sure your internal records would reveal. It is our intent that the renaming of this park would recognize this courage and dedication in a manner appropriate to her efforts.
Sincerely,
CeSPNC president
Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Councilmember, Bob Gelfand, told Random Lengths News that their board recently voted down a motion to take up the cause of renaming the park, noting, “There wasn’t anyone at Coastal who was gung ho about it.”
That vote shut down, at least for the time being, any attempt to present a motion to the Harbor Commission.
But that might change as there are community members eager to see the park take on Hunt’s legacy more concretely.
Even without the park having her name, the legend of Bea Atwood Hunt still makes its way to newcomers to Pedro. On a Yelp review for the 22nd Street Park, Joan S. wrote, “The parkland is the former site of an oil tank farm. According to a local resident I spoke to as I was leaving: after cleaning up the area they had to let it rest for years. The lady, who is a 6th generation SP resident, mentioned that this would be a perfect spot to release blue butterflies. I hope they do!”
It’s nice to know that local residents are keeping the story of the park and why we have it alive, even if there’s no official acknowledgment as of yet.
When we reached out to 15th Council District representative, Tim McOsker’s office for his thoughts on the movement, his representative said, “The Councilmember appreciates the significance of recognitions like this, and looks forward to the suggestion going through a public discussion on the renaming of the port property.” So that’s a great call to action for any local residents to reignite the call for Bea to be recognized by the ports at their local neighborhood council meetings!
Speaking to one of Atwood Hunt’s grandchildren Richard Person, we learned that even before it was officially a park, the family would use it for that purpose when they’d come visit. “My sister and I would go down and run around the empty tank farm,” Person recalled.
Richard’s sister Theresa shared how happy Atwood Hunt had been at the small recognition that she did get before she passed away, recalling a feature from Random Lengths. “She was so excited with the 30th-anniversary story, she was so proud of it.” Person also told us how she thought that Atwood Hunt would have been delighted with the idea that the park may one day get to take on her name. For now, though, there’s still work to be done.