City looks to businesses, service organizations to sponsor parks

BARSTOW — Pace Services Skate Park? Fosters Freeze Field? The Cake Shop Commons? Quigley’s Quad? Gustos Gardens?

The names of Barstow’s parks will not change, but under a new plan by the city, local business or service organizations could sponsor area playgrounds and fields. Under a draft agreement passed unanimously by the City Council Monday night, a $500 a month sponsorship gets the local business a large sign in the park and the city needed help in maintaining it.

Jeanette Hayhurst, the city’s manager of parks and recreation, could not think of other cities pursuing a similar program but said, citing company names attached to professional sports parks and arenas, that it is a trend in the parks and recreation industry. Some local business owners pitched the idea to her a few years ago.

“They actually came to me and said, ‘Hey, we want to help,’” she said.

Paul Courtney, owner of Pace Services, was one of those who approached Hayhurst. He wanted to sponsor the Barstow Skate Park at Dana Park years before it opened last August, Hayhurst said. Courtney said his initial motivation for sponsoring the skate park was to make sure the idea would not die. Now, the park has become an active place for youth and parents to gather, Courtney said, and he would hate to see it fall into disrepair.

But it will not be named the Pace Services Skate Park. Hayhurst said all of Barstow’s parks will retain their original names, many of which honor prominent Barstow residents.

Under the agreement, a business would give the city $500 a month to help offset the cost the city faces to maintain Barstow’s seven parks. In return, the city will construct an approximately 20 square foot sign in the park bearing the company’s name and logo. If sponsorship deals are inked for all seven parks, the city stands to gain nearly $42,000 a year in park-specific revenue. The city’s park and recreation staff would still maintain the park, and the sponsoring company would have to plan at least one community event at their park each year.
“It’s pretty easy to support a park,” Hayhurst said.

Hayhurst said she had not gotten much feedback from area companies, but she thinks the Barstow business community will get behind the measure.

Courtney, who thinks the $500 a month program is a good fit for Barstow businesses, said companies will see it as good investment in Barstow.
“It’s a great way to buy into the community,” he said. “The parks represent unity.”

In 2004, the city took over control of Barstow’s parks from the struggling Park and Recreation District. Hayhurst said she had pledged to the city to lessen the burden of maintaining the parks.

Your business’ name here

The following parks are available for sponsorship
• Lillian Park
• Fogelson Park
• Upper Dana Park (skate park)
• Lower Dana Park
• Sturnacle Park
• Stringham Park
• Jasper Park
• The Eda Henderson Pool
Jeanette Hayhurst said the H Street Park and the Panamint Park are not open for sponsoring because they are owned by the Barstow Heights Community Service District. Any business or service organization interested should call Hayhurst at 255-5146

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4121 or aaron_aupperlee@link.freedom.com