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[00:00:18]

OH, I'M KENNETH ALLEN.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH OUR HONORABLE MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS, SURVIVE.

AND WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ HERE WITH US AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER DWIGHT BOYKINS IN THE BACK, STANDING UP WHO WE CAN'T MISS.

HE'S GOT A HAIRCUT LIKE MINE IN THE MIRROR, AND WHEN WE GET HERE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE.

SO, BUT NO, THANK YOU.

OVERALL, UM, THIS ENTIRE PROCESS HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL.

IT'S TAKEN A LITTLE TIME FOR US TO GET HERE, BUT GUESS WHAT? WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE HERE IN A VERY TRANSFORMATIVE WAY WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS INVOLVED.

WHEN THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETE, THEN THE ENTIRE PARK WILL BE TRANSFORMATIVE.

UM, AND YOU'LL GET A GREAT NEW LOOK.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CELEBRATING THE GROUNDBREAKING OF THIS COMMUNITY CENTER, IT'S ABOUT OVERALL IN INVESTMENT IN THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

AND THERE'S ONE PERSON I WANNA CALL UP TO THE MIC AND IT GETS A LITTLE EMOTIONAL BECAUSE I COULD SEE THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.

OUR HONORABLE MAYOR, JOHN WHITMEYER, HE'S CALLED ON US TO WORK TOGETHER, GET THINGS DONE.

SO I'D LIKE TO PM TO COME UP AND START THE PROGRAM.

THANK YOU, KENNETH.

AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE.

DWIGHT, NICE TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ.

AND OF COURSE, OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABAZZ.

REALLY, I WANT TO THANK THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

UH, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY IT'S TAKEN SO LONG.

I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND WE'RE MEETING OUR CHALLENGES AND EVERY DAY IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE.

BUT THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR YEARS TO HAVE SOUTH PARK, UH, RECOGNIZED FOR ITS ROLE IN THIS GREAT CITY.

AND I DROVE DOWN BELFORT.

I'M UNHAPPY.

I'VE ALREADY MADE A CALL BEFORE I GOT OUT OF THE CAR THAT ESPLANADE DOESN'T HAVE TO LOOK LIKE THAT.

ALRIGHT, SO Y'ALL, Y'ALL I WILL BE MONITORING, BUT I JUST TALKED TO THE DIRECTOR OF SOLID WASTE AND HE SAID HE'D HAVE A CREW OUT HERE.

AND OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY.

THERE'S BEEN YEARS AND YEARS OF NEGLECT.

BUT LET ME THANK THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS HERE.

I COULD ALSO APPLAUD MY CITY EMPLOYEES.

WE HAVE THE PASSION THAT DIRECTOR ALLEN EXHIBITS.

UH, WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM IN PLACE, BUT IT'S NOT NO TIME FOR EXCUSES ANYMORE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

AND ALL MAJOR CITIES HAVE CHALLENGES.

THE DIFFERENCE IS WE'RE MEETING OUR CHALLENGES.

SO THIS IS CERTAINLY A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT LED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, BUT CERTAINLY PUBLIC WORKS WILL COME IN AND HELP US WITH DETENTION AND SOME FLOOD ISSUES.

SO ALL I'M DOING THIS MORNING IS THANKING ALL THE PARTIES THAT ARE PLAYING A REAL ROLE.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

THANK YOU.

IT'S GETTING WHERE YOU AND I MEET AND YOUR DISTRICT ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ANNOUNCE ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT TO TRINITY EAST.

YESTERDAY FOR SENIORS WAS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD A AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT IN THIRD WARD FOR SENIORS THAT DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE COMMUNITY, EVEN THOUGH CUNY HOMES IS BEING TRANSFORMED, WHERE THEY GONNA LIVE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION, WHERE THEY GONNA LIVE IN AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

SO ALL I'M SAYING IS I'M PUMPED.

I'M GLAD I'M HERE.

AND WHEN I LEAVE HERE, I'LL GO MEET ANOTHER CHALLENGE.

THANK Y'ALL.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

YOU KNOW, EDGE.

EDWARD PARK IS CERTAINLY ONE OF OUR BELOVED NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, AND OUR MAYOR HAS CHAMPIONED FOCUSING ON NEIGHBORHOOD AND POCKET PARKS.

SO THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR HELPING US MOVE THIS DOWN THE ROAD.

UM, WE REMAIN SIMPLY LASER FOCUSED ON REVITAL, ON REVITALIZING THESE IMPORTANT SPACES, UM, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY THRIVE.

WE KNOW IF YOU FEEL BETTER AS A RESULT OF SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE PARK, THEN THE COMMUNITIES ACTUALLY BECOME BETTER.

YOU KNOW, EDGEWOOD PARK, IT PROVIDES A CRITICAL SUMMER ENRICHMENT AS WELL AS AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES.

YOU GUYS KNOW THE VALUE OF THIS PLACE.

SO OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALSO A STRONG STENCH SUPPORTER OF PARKS.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABA, DISTRICT OF DESTINATION BEFORE SHE SAYS IT.

, GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

CERTAINLY IS MY HONOR AND MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

I AM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT D, WHAT I CALL THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.

CERTAINLY, I AM SO VERY

[00:05:01]

APOLOGETIC THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE FOR ALL OF YOU TO SIT, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY GONNA HAVE THIS BUILDING READY SO THAT YOU CAN COME AND SHAKE A TAIL.

FEATHER, HOW ABOUT THAT? I'M COMING TO THE FIRST DANCE.

LET'S BE VERY, VERY CLEAR.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT ANYWAY, AGAIN, MAYOR, UH, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH.

YOU HAVE BEEN AN AWESOME PARTNER, AND I ALWAYS SAY THIS AND HE CRINGES, YOU KNOW, WE KINDA IN KINDA SIDEWAYS, BUT HE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS PARTNER FOR DISTRICT D AND CERTAINLY ON YESTERDAY WE DID DO A GROUNDBREAKING FOR A 90 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, FOR SENIORS THAT WILL BE LOCATED, UM, TRINITY EAST UNITED METHODIST, RIGHT THERE ON EMANCIPATION.

AND SO WE ARE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

SO SOME OF YOU CAN CERTAINLY COME ON OVER TO THE THIRD WARD.

IT'S FOR 55 AND OLDER.

SOME OF Y'ALL DON'T LOOK OLD ENOUGH TO BE IN THERE, BUT IT'S FOR 55 AND OLDER.

CERTAINLY.

I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, TRAVIS MCGEE.

HE'S THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT.

UM, AND CERTAINLY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE TRASH AND ALL OF THAT, I SEE, UH, UH, MR. PUGH OVER THERE, ELDRIDGE PUGH.

ELDRIDGE PUGH IS AN AWESOME PARTNER.

HE MAKES SURE THAT THINGS GET DONE IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE GETS ENOUGH ACCOLADES.

I HOPE HE GETS ENOUGH PAY.

I MEAN, I'M SORRY.

EXCUSE ME.

I DIGRESS.

BUT CERTAINLY, UH, I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT HE IS HERE AND CERTAINLY THIS IS A MAN THAT KEEPS US SAFE.

I CAN CALL ON CONSTABLE SMOKE, GIVE PHILLIPS 24 7.

HE'S ONE OF THOSE THAT'S GONNA ANSWER THE PHONE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IF HE DOESN'T, HE'S GONNA GET BACK WITH YOU VERY, VERY QUICKLY.

AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, I, I SEE RASHAD CAVE HERE WITH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND CERTAINLY I SEE A COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, WHO HAS JOINED US THIS MORNING.

SO WE KNOW WE ARE CERTAINLY COVERED IN PRAYER, .

BUT YOU KNOW, I'M SO VERY HAPPY THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE.

AND I KNOW WE HAVE HAD SOME HEATED MOMENTS IN THIS BUILDING AND Y'ALL HAVE SIDE EYED ME , BUT I'M HERE AND I'M THANKFUL.

BUT I MUST SAY IT'S THIS LADY RIGHT HERE.

YES.

THAT KEPT THIS WHEEL TURNING.

YEAH.

CYNTHIA FARMS. YEAH.

CYNTHIA FARMS WILL SEND A TEXT TO YOU AND 10 MILLION PEOPLE AND YOU BETTER RESPOND.

YEAH.

BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT NEVER BOTHERS ME, BECAUSE ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO SLIP UNDER THE CRACKS.

AND SO CERTAINLY FOR PEOPLE SUCH AS CYNTHIA FARMS, TO KEEP OUR WHEEL, OUR HEADS TO THE PLOW IS SO VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

AND HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T MISS ANYONE.

YOU ALREADY RECOGNIZED MY COLLEAGUE HERE.

AND SO CERTAINLY ON YESTERDAY WE TALKED ABOUT 25 PARKS THAT WILL BE IMPROVED.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ARE IN DISTRICT D.

THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.

OKAY? OKAY.

BUT ANYWAY, I THINK IT'S ABOUT THREE, ISN'T IT? IT'S MORE THAN IT'S THREE WHEN WE'RE DONE.

YES.

OKAY.

THREE PARKS.

SO SEE, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

AND SO THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN DISTRICT D.

AND TODAY WE ARE NOT JUST BREAKING GROUND, WE ARE KEEPING A PROMISE.

WE ARE INVESTING IN COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE MAKING A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR SENIORS AND OUR CHILDREN, DESERVE PUBLIC SPACES THAT REFLECT THEIR VALUE, THEIR DIGNITY, AND THEIR FUTURE.

EDGEWOOD PARK HAS ALWAYS BEEN MORE THAN A PARK.

IT IS A GATHERING PLACE.

IT IS WHERE FAMILIES COME TOGETHER, WHERE CHILDREN PLAY, WHERE NEIGHBORS SEE ONE ANOTHER.

AND WHERE COMMUNITY IS BUILT, ONE CONVERSATION, ONE EVENT, AND ONE SHARED MEMORY AT A TIME.

I SEE THE BISHOP OVER THERE.

GOOD MORNING, SIR .

AND TODAY WE BEGIN THE NEXT JOUR CHAPTER.

I WANNA THANK AGAIN, MAYOR WHITMEYER, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR, KENNETH ALLEN, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, CIVIC CLUBS, NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATES, AND EVERY RESIDENT WHO CONTINUE TO SPEAK UP FOR THIS PARK AND FOR THIS COMMUNITY.

PROJECTS LIKE THIS DO NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.

THEY HAPPEN BECAUSE PEOPLE CARE ENOUGH TO PUSH, TO PLAN , TO PARTNER, AND TO PERSIST.

AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT DI HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT INVESTMENT MUST RE MUST REACH THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORSHIP, RAISE THEIR CHILDREN, AND BUILD THEIR LIVES.

EDGEWOOD PARK REPRESENTS EXACTLY THAT KIND OF INVESTMENT.

THIS GROUNDBREAKING IS ABOUT MORE, YOU KNOW, EDGEWOOD PARK.

THIS GROUNDBREAKING IS MORE THAN ABOUT CONCRETE EQUIPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION.

IT IS ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE.

IT IS ABOUT SAFETY.

IT IS ABOUT PRIDE.

IT IS ABOUT GIVING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE A PLACE TO GROW AND GIVING OUR ELDERS A PLACE TO ENJOY THE COMMUNITY THEY HELP BUILD.

AND THEN I, I SAW, UH, PASTOR JONES BACK THERE TOO.

YOU KNOW, I WANNA

[00:10:01]

RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, OUR CLERICAL LEADERS BECAUSE THIS HAS NOT COME ABOUT.

JUST THROUGH, THROUGH THE STRENGTH OF MAN, THIS HAS COME THROUGH THE STRENGTH OF GOD.

AND I CERTAINLY WANNA RECOGNIZE HIM AND ALL OF HIS MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD.

WHEN WE INVEST IN PARKS, WE INVEST IN PUBLIC HEALTH.

WE INVEST IN STRONGER NEIGHBORHOODS, WE INVEST IN COMMUNITY PRIDE.

WE INVEST IN THE KIND OF HOUSTON.

WE WANT TO SEE A HOUSTON WHERE EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD MATTERS, AND EVERY RESIDENT CAN FEEL SEEN, VALUED UNSUPPORTED.

DISTRICT D IS THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.

AND THAT MEANS THAT OUR COMMUNITIES DESERVE DESTINATIONS THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND MAKE THEM PROUD.

AND I HOPE THAT YOU ARE, AND WE ARE GONNA STAND HERE AND WE ARE GONNA DO A RIBBON CUTTING.

AND I WANT EVERY PLACE AND EVERY PERSON THAT'S REPRESENTED TO BE HERE FOR THAT AS WELL.

SO TODAY, AS WE PLACE SHOVELS IN THE GROUND, LET US REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALSO PLANTING SOMETHING DEEPER.

HOPE, OPPORTUNITY, AND A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, TO THE RESIDENTS OF EDGEWOOD AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, YOUR ADVOCACY, AND YOUR BELIEF IN WHAT THIS PART CAN BECOME.

THIS MOMENT BELONGS TO YOU.

AS I OFTEN SAY, IF I CAN HELP SOMEBODY AS I PASS ALONG THIS WAY, THEN MY LIVING SHALL NOT BE IN VAIN.

AND TODAY WE ARE BUILDING SOMETHING THAT WILL SERVE SOMEBODY, NOT JUST TODAY, BUT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

OTHER PEOPLE WHO WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND IN THE SHADE OF THESE TREES AND IN THE COVERING OF THESE BUILDINGS WHEN WE ARE LONG GONE.

AND SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS EDGEWOOD, EVERY RESIDENT AND EVERY FAMILY PRESENT.

CERTAINLY WANNA LIFT UP THE PRAYERS TO THE ROJO FAMILY AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES THAT HAVE GONE ON TO GLORY.

AND SO I WANNA GIVE YOU GREETINGS AND THANK YOU FROM DISTRICT D AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.

AGAIN, I'M COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, THE PROUD, PROUD COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT.

Y'ALL THOUGHT I WAS A PREACHER FOR A MINUTE THEN.

ALL RIGHT.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

SO MOVING.

THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.

THANK YOU.

AND MOVING US ALONG.

YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ADVOCACY.

I HAD A SMALL TALK WITH, UH, CYNTHIA JUST NOW.

UH, SHE TOLD ME THERE'S OVER EIGHT 80 MEMBERS.

60, 60 MEMBERS.

AND UH, THAT'S REFLECTIVE OF YOU GUYS COMING OUT RIGHT NOW.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.

WOULD YOU PLEASE HAVE A FEW WORDS, A FEW OUT? GOOD.

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.

GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PARK.

GOOD MORNING.

SOUTH PARK.

THIS IS SOUTH PARK HERE, Y'ALL.

SOUTH PARK.

SOUTH PARK, HOUSTON, TEXAS, SOUTH PARK AND HOUSTON, TEXAS.

THIS IS PRECINCT 2 39.

NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC CLUB.

UH, WE HAVE OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT, TRAVIS MCGEE.

UH, I WANNA THANK ALL OF Y'ALL IN THIS WHO CAME OUT TO, UH, HELP SUPPORT US TODAY WITH THIS, UH, EXTRAVAGANT, UH, EVENT.

THIS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.

LIKE SAM COOK SAID.

YEAH, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE 2007.

WE HAD TWO DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS AND THANK YOU MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER.

THANK YOU.

WE WENT TO CITY HALL TWO TIMES.

YOU SAW ME AND MISS OUR COUNCIL MEMBER.

OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, AND HONORABLE DR.

CAROLYN SHABAZZ.

YOU SAW US DO OUR RUMBLE ABOUT EDGEWOOD PARK.

WE WENT AT IT TOO, DIDN'T WE? WE DID.

WE DID.

THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES SOME TIME WE WENT AT IT.

BUT HEY, WE GOT SOME THINGS DONE, DIDN'T WE? ABSOLUTELY.

I APPRECIATE Y'ALL.

THANK YOU.

THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATES Y'ALL.

UH, UH, H PART.

MR. KENNY ALLEN, WE APPRECIATE YOU.

WE, THIS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.

I MEAN, EVERYBODY THAT HAD A PART IN THIS, THE, ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM, UH, FROM FROM CITY HALL.

UH, UH, AND I HAVE TO GO BACK WHEN I SAY COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER

[00:15:01]

CAROLYN SHABAZZ AND HER STAFF.

COREY, WHERE YOU AT? THERE'S COREY OVER THERE HIDING.

I MEAN, COREY DID THE DARN THING.

THANK YOU COREY, FOR EVERYTHING.

'CAUSE YOU SET UP EVERYTHING AND DID EVERYTHING.

I GOTTA GIVE YOU THAT.

ABSOLUTELY.

COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS AND FREDDIE OLIVER.

THANK Y'ALL.

YOU WELCOME.

COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND LEAH.

YES.

THANK YOU.

I'M NOT GONNA LOOK IF I, IF I LEAVE SOMEBODY, I CHARGE IT TO MY MIND, BUT NOT TO MY HEART.

OKAY, GOT IT.

BECAUSE I'M 54 NOW.

I JUST MADE 54 LA UH, IN MAY.

SO CHARGE IT TO MY MIND, NOT TO MY HEART.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS PARK? WHY DO WE WANT THIS PARK DONE OVER? WE GOT OVER 150 KIDS THAT PAY LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL HERE EVERY DAY.

THEY DESERVE IT.

WE HAVE SENIORS.

WE HAVE SENIORS.

WELL PRECINCT 2 39 CIVIC CLUB.

WHENEVER I GO SOMEWHERE, THESE PEOPLE SHOW UP AND THEY SHOW OUT.

THEY FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE I GO.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY TRUST ME.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND THEY BELIEVE IN ME.

AND I THANK Y'ALL FOR THAT.

'CAUSE IT'S NOT EASY DOING THIS JOB A A, A FREE JOB AT THAT.

BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.

I WANNA, UH, REAL QUICKLY TALK ABOUT MS. UH, THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT'S NO LONGER HERE, THAT FOUGHT FOR THIS CENTER.

MS. OLIVIA RANDALL.

SHE WAS THE PRE, SHE WAS THE CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT BEFORE I WAS.

AND I HAD SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL.

SHE WAS HERE FOR 30 YEARS.

AND A LOT OF THESE MEMBERS IN THIS CIVIC CLUB BEEN IN HIS, THIS CIVIC CLUB FOR 30 YEARS.

THAT SAYS A LOT BECAUSE THEY STILL WITH ME.

I WANT MISS VIVIAN TOMPKINS.

UH, I WANNA, I WANNA, UH, REMEMBER HER AS WELL.

SHE WAS ONE OF OUR PRECINCT JUDGES AND CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENTS.

RENEE HUTCHSON, SHE'S NOT HERE.

SHE'S OUR PRECINCT JUDGE HERE AT THIS CENTER.

MS. BRENDA ATKINS.

SHE'S BEEN THE SECRETARY OF OUR CIVIC CLUB FOR 30 YEARS.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT I I, IT, IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.

WE DID THIS.

IT'S NOT WE, CYNTHIA, IT'S WE, THE COMMUNITY, THE MAYOR, THE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE, THE PRECINCT, 2 39, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT.

WE DID THIS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALL.

I'M TRYING NOT TO LEAVE OUT ANYBODY.

I WANNA THANK, UH, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, DWIGHT BOYKINS.

'CAUSE HE GONNA CHOP MY HEAD OFF OFF IF I DON'T, I WANNA THANK PASTOR KEN ROSE, WHO TOOK US TO AND FROM CITY HALL TO, TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS.

I WANNA THANK PASTOR BYRON JONES, WHO'S A STRONG ADVOCATE AND OUR COMMUNITY.

AND HIS MAMA WAS THE PRECINCT JUDGE HERE BACK IN 1963.

SEE, I DON'T FORGET THAT MUCH.

I THINK I'M DOING PRETTY GOOD.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

LASTLY ALL, I THINK I GOT EVERYTHING UP.

I JUST WANNA SAY THANK Y'ALL AGAIN.

THIS IS JUST BEEN A LONG JOURNEY.

WE, LOOKING FORWARD WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING AND WHEN WE WALKING HERE, LIKE YOU SAID, WE GONNA SHAKE SOME TAIL FEATHERS.

CONSTABLE SMOKEY PHILLIPS.

I FORGOT MY, MY BUDDY RIGHT IN MY FACE WHEN I CALL THIS MAN, I MEAN FOR ANYTHING.

AND I WEAR HIM OUT TOO.

ABSOLUTE.

I DO.

AND HE ANSWER YES AND HE DO WHATEVER I ASK TO DO AND I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

COST.

YES SIR.

AND IF ANYBODY ELSE THAT I FORGET, UH, THE ARCHITECTS, MS. COMMON LEE, THE RICE, THE DIRECTOR.

MR. PUGH.

PUGH.

THANK Y'ALL.

THANK EVERYBODY.

AND ANYBODY, EVERYBODY THAT WENT TO CITY HALL, UH, UH, MR. CHARLES, MR. MR. HAYBURN.

MS. MS. MERLY, WHERE YOU AT? RAISE YOUR HANDS.

WE, WE MIGHT NOT HAD A LOT GOING WITH US AND MR. MR. OTHER CHARLES THOMAS.

UH, AND, AND YOU STILL HAVE OUR CONDOLENCES AND YOU'RE HERE TODAY.

THANK YOU.

UM, OUR SECRETARY OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT, MS. SANDRA WASHINGTON.

I DON'T WANNA LEAVE NOBODY OUT 'CAUSE THIS AIN'T ABOUT ME.

THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY.

THIS IS GONNA BE OUR CENTER, SOUTH PARK WHENEVER WE HAVE NATURAL DISASTERS.

THIS OUR CENTER.

WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO SUNNYSIDE, THIS SOUTH PARK.

I'M PROUD OF SOUTH PARK.

HOW MANY SOUTH PARK PROUD.

[00:20:02]

THANK YOU MAYOR.

THANK Y'ALL AGAIN.

AND, AND JUST AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THERE WAS A NEWSCAST THAT CALLED THIS SUNNYSIDE.

I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW, I DID NOT CALL THIS SUNNYSIDE THE NEWS REPORTER DID THAT CORRECT THEM.

YOU CAN'T CORRECT THEM.

IT IS OUT THERE.

THEY TOLD YOU HOW I'M GONNA GET IT BACK.

OKAY? SO WE JUST KNOW THE TRUTH AND I'M, I'M GONNA DECLARE IT RIGHT NOW.

OKAY? AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL KNOW HOW TO REPORT WHEN THINGS ARE YOU SEE ARE NOT IN ORDER.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO CALL 3 1 1.

AND YOU SAY, OH, THAT'S A BLACK HOME.

NO, IF YOU CALL 3 1 1 AND YOU GET THAT SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER TO US, THEN EITHER INGRAM MITCHUM OR ELDRIDGE PUGH OR SOMEBODY WILL ADDRESS THAT.

AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THERE IS, WE DO HAVE AN OFFICE IN THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI SERVICE CENTER, WHICH NORMALLY INGRAM MITCHUM IS THERE WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, NO, EXCUSE ME.

YEAH, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, AND FRIDAY.

BUT YOU MUST MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT YOU TO GO THERE AND SHE'S NOT THERE.

SO MAKE SURE YOU USE THOSE SERVICES.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IF YOU DON'T TELL US, BUT ONCE YOU TELL US, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE ACCOUNTABLE.

SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND I'M GONNA HAVE MY SEAT.

THANK YOU.

REAL, REAL QUICK.

LORD, FORGIVE MY MANNERS.

MY MOM AND MY DAD WHO ALWAYS BE HERE TO SUPPORT ME AND MY, AND MY LITTLE DOG AND MY LITTLE GREAT NIECE THAT'S HERE.

THEY ALWAYS FOLLOW AND DO THEY, THEY SUPPORT ME AND MY BEST FRIENDS.

AND SECOND GRADE IS HERE.

ALICE IS IN THE BACK AS WELL.

THANK YOU'ALL TOO.

I LOVE Y'ALL.

WELL, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PASSIONATE, COMMITTED PEOPLE TO PARKS AND NOT ONLY PARKS, BUT TO COMMUNITY ITSELF.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.

BUT I'LL BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM LONG FOR THEIR COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

LISTENING TO, LISTENING TO YOU GUYS INCORPORATING DESIGN AND STAYING WITHIN BUDGET FOR THE MOST PART, , .

SO JUST THANK YOU ALL.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY CENTER STAFF THAT WILL RUN THIS PART.

THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING AND SO IT'S TRAINING.

GO TRAINING GROUND.

UM, DIVISION MANAGER, CARMEN CARLINA RICE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALRIGHT, SHE'S ALREADY STARTED WORKING ON ALTERNATE LOCATIONS WHERE WE COULD SEND OUR KIDS WHILE THIS CENTER IS, UH, BEING RENOVATED.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE SCHOOL DOWN THE STREET, OUR UH, CONSTITUENTS WILL HAVE A PLACE TO GO, NOT ONLY FOR MEETINGS AND PROGRAMMING, BUT SHE'S ALREADY ON IT.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THE CIVIC CLUB IS AT SOUTH PARK BAPTIST CHURCH.

YES.

SO YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY DONE YOUR HOMEWORK.

UH, MAYOR SAID IT'S TIME TO GO TO WORK.

SO, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA RIP AND CUT THIS BABY.

AND IF YOU GUYS WANT INFORMATION ON WHAT'S HAPPENING, IT'S ON THE BOARDS.