Will the Destruction of Parkland for USC, come before Memorial to Sal Castro at Historic Hazard Park?

As famed Chicano/ Education Rights Advocate Sal Castro is remembered, what will come first at historic Hazard Park, a completed memorial to him and thousands who joined together in marching for education equality ......., or the destruction of parkland for USC's Health Science Campus "Beautification/ Expansion Plan"? 

As hundreds of political leaders, friends and former students gather yesterday to say final thanks and goodbyes to a local community legend Sal Castro, an area at historic Hazard Park, awaits its appointed designation as the location for the memorial to Sal Castro and his thousands of supporters who stood up for education equality. 

Area of the proposed memorial to Sal Castro and those who joined with him in supporting educational equality. The site for the monument was approved in 2008, but awaited the final details that were in the works up to the time of Castro's death. With Castro's death should a new push for National Historical Designation be part of a future memorial, as supported by Mayor Antonio Villar? 

The walkouts produced a new generation of Latino professionals and politicians who are aware of the debt they owe Castro and the blowout students. Politicians like L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who attended Castro's Latino youth leadership program. "I helped Tony when he was 15 get into UCLA," Castro said. Villaraigosa said Monday he backed federal recognition for the memorial.

But as historic Hazard Park is now, under threat from the expansion/beautification plans of the USC Health Science Campus Master Plan, we must ask Mayor Villar and CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar, whether they will stand up in preserving historic hollow ground for the thousands that stood with Sal Castro and preserving parkland that been use by multiple generations of working families?

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14