Modesto takes suggestions for renaming Cesar E. Chavez Park. How to submit one
Modesto residents now can submit their ideas for renaming Cesar E. Chavez Park.
A civil rights activist, the late Chavez was accused of sexually abusing children and raping co-founder of the United Farm Workers Dolores Huerta, according to a years-long New York Times investigation.
Since the allegations, statues and signs that bear his name have been taken down or covered up across the nation.
Modesto’s Culture Commission has started collecting suggestions for the park’s new name. It will review submissions and then make a recommendation to the City Council for consideration.
The form can be filled out and submitted online (tinyurl.com/chavezparkform) or in person at the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Department at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St. Hours at the government building are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
The deadline to submit a park name is April 24, by the end of the business day.
Besides asking for the respondent’s name and email, the form asks two questions, in both English and Spanish:
- What is the park name you would like to submit?
- Please tell us the reason you would like to suggest this park name?
Originally called Fourth Street Park, it was renamed after Chavez in 2002 based on the 1975 march led by him and the UFW that ended in front of E.&J. Gallo Winery. UFW organized Gallo workers and boycotted the winery in protest of worker conditions in its vineyards.
The park is undergoing a $17.1 million renovation that is planned to wrap up this summer.
“As the largest park renovation in the city’s history gets closer to completion, collaboration is critical to capture the sentiment of our community and guarantee the name of the park reflects the shared values of all residents,” reads the form.
