When a $420,000 improvement project at Logvy Park is finished next fall, the new features – an expanded picnic area, a playground, bocce courts and a pedestrian walkway – will stand as permanent reminders of who conceived the plan and how they got it done.
They call themselves “Adelante,” which is Spanish for forward. Starting seven years ago as a loose coalition of parents concerned about Calistoga’s future, they have emerged today as a leading example of the Latino community’s growing influence in local civic affairs.
“We live in a country where most of us are immigrants – Anglos, Latinos, you
name it,” said Gloria Parada, a member of Adelante since 2016. “It takes a while for us to implement ourselves into the American system, but being involved in the community allows you to be part of something bigger.”
The Latino community of Calistoga comprises approximately 40 percent of the
town’s population of about 5,000. Their children, however, represent 86 percent of
the students attending local public schools. Finding new recreational avenues for
their kids, as well as all other children was a natural area of interest.
Julie Garcia, the leader of Adelante and a local business owner, said the catalyst for
their campaign was recognizing that there were few facilities in town that might keep teens or younger kids occupied.
“Our kids have nothing to do,” she said. “They are either inside watching TV or on
the computer. We want them outside.” She said they started to meet informally at the UpValley Family Center, whose staff encouraged the dialogue. The center brought in an architect and later a facilitator to help guide progress on the group’s work.
At one point, the plans included a skateboard park and an indoor soccer field. The group still hopes both will one day become reality.
The former mayor, Chris Canning, was a supporter and brought their project to the council, which approved the plan in November 2019.
The project was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic but earlier this year, the council included the appropriation as part of the 2023-24 budget. City engineers are finalizing bid documents for the construction of the new recreational features – the playground and picnic area, bocce courts, and a pedestrian walkway.
They hope to have crews working by early spring. The completion date is mid-October.
So far, Adelante has not turned their attention to more political matters such as next year’s council races or the hiring of more Latino town executives, but the success of the park project has clearly sparked interest among some members for bigger goals.
“It gave us a feeling of visibility and empowerment to partake in our city government and to have a say in how our city is shaped,” said Guillermo Robles, one of the original members of the organization and a father of three.
“When we started the group and realized we had the power to influence, we grew and sought more members,” he said. “We wanted to inspire other Latinos.”
Logvy, located at Washington and North Oak streets, was a point of emphasis for Adelante because of its proximity to a number of apartment buildings where Latino families live, as well as the low-income farmworker housing complex next door to the park.
While the park offers an expansive grass field and a baseball diamond, it doesn’t fulfill the needs of families.
“The problem is that the park is not adequate in the sense that if I had my older child playing a game on the field, I could not expect my youngest child to watch the entire game,” said Parada. “The proposed additional amenities would transform it into a family experience, with someone cooking in the picnic area, my son enjoying the slides and another participating in a competitive sport on the field. Parks have the power to bring our families closer together.”
Robles said he is proud of what Adelante has accomplished. “When we unite, they hear us,” he added. “The investment in Logvy Park assured us that our voices are heard and that we are needed in city decision-making processes.”
