News of the Arroyo
Title: | Creeping corporate naming in the Arroyo Seco |
Subtitle: | |
Date: | 2016-11-01 |
Summary: | <b>November 1, 2016</b> - Pasadena Star-News considers corporate naming in the Arroyo Seco and believes "Pasadena City Hall needs to draw up more careful guidelines for naming public spaces." We couldn't agree more.<b></b> - |
Author: | Editorial Board |
Publication: | Pasadena Star-News |
Content: | ![](\"https://www.arroyoseco.org/images/hondarosebowl.jpg\") Honda’s float for the 2014 Rose Parade on a test run outside the Rose Bowl. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News) The transformation of the wildlands and recreational areas of the Arroyo Seco in recent decades has been (almost) entirely a good thing for the people of the San Gabriel Valley. Actually, the popularity goes way beyond surrounding cities. Half of young Hollywood, it sometimes seems, comes out for the monthly Rose Bowl Flea Market. And the fight against every disease and the battle for every good cause on Earth, it also sometimes seems, believes the best way to raise money for the cause is to hold a fund-raising walk around the 3.1-mile Rose Bowl loop. And here’s where we begin to get into a problem. Here’s where the (almost) comes into play. Commercialization is neither an entirely a new (the flea market is 45 years old) nor entirely a bad thing (the aging Rose Bowl stadium gets much of the money from both nonprofit and business events in the area surrounding it). It’s all a matter of balance, of finding the right amount of fund-raising and private events at the same time as ensuring that public access is not overly infringed upon, as it has been too many weekends in recent years when security guards and police prevent walkers, runners and bicyclists from even entering the Arroyo because one of dozens of good causes has taken over the canyon that bisects west Pasadena. One of the issues was highlighted in the headline over a story in the most recent newsletter of the West Pasadena Residents Association: “How should we recognize donors in the Arroyo?” The large grass field immediately south of the Rose Bowl, known rather plainly as Area H, is in need of more improvements. So the Rose Bowl Operating Company in June aproved a proposal to accept about $2 million in philanthropic donations. That’s great. But, since the Honda Corporation was forking over a cool million, there was a proposal to simply rename it Honda Park. Mild if proper outrage ensued. The stadium, almost unique among major venues in the country, has resisted top-of-the-marquee corporate naming. Yet the park was going to be called after a car company? That was a no-go. The road leading to the stadium already has signs dubbing it Wescom Way. The Arroyo Seco, much as the people who enjoy its resources appreciate corporate gifts, is not for sale. Pasadena City Hall needs to draw up more careful guidelines for naming public spaces. |
Url: | Link |