Sports park open?
“I’m calling about the sports park. It looks like it’s just about done. Want to find out when will residents be able to use it? Those of us over on this side of town don’t have a neighborhood park or anything. … Thank you.”
Red Phone:
It contacted Gilroy’s Facilities and Park Development Manager Bill Headley to answer your question, and fortunately, good caller, you don’t have much longer to wait.
“Phase I and II improvements are nearing completion and the city is anticipating opening the sports park to general public use in late September or October,” Headley said. “These sports park improvements will include basic neighborhood park facilities such as play areas, a picnic area and an open grass play area.”
He added that organized team sport use is expected to start in January with Little League try-outs.
According to Headley, the Glen Loma Specific Plan project is also scheduled to include the construction of two neighborhood parks. One new park will be on the sloping area adjacent to the new school being built on Luchessa Avenue. Developer construction of this park near existing Thomas Road homes is expected within a few years following construction of the school and new Glen Loma homes.
Hoenck Grove
“I was walking through the Garlic Festival this weekend and back in my younger days, the growth of redwood trees that go between the two baseball fields on the old park side, was donated by the 4-H program in honor of my grandmother, Katherine Hoenck. There used to be a nice wooden sign that called it Hoenck Grove and it’s what the trees were planted for. There’s no more signs. I’d like to know what the city plans to do, can they replace the sign or what their goal is for that? Thanks.”
Red Phone:
You sent the Red Phone on quite a hunt – that really didn’t lead anywhere.
It originally contacted several city officials, many of whom didn’t know any background on the grove nor the reason for the disappearing sign. Red Phone was eventually passed information on the grove by another one of Katherine Hoenck’s relatives.
Nancy McDonald, daughter-in-law of Hoenck, said Hoenck was the Community Leader for the Adams 4-H Club for more than 30 years until her death in the early ’70s. According to McDonald, the grove was actually donated sometime in the mid- to late-’70s by the Adams 4-H Club in her memory.
“I remember my daughters going out for the dedication and there was a picture and article by the Gilroy Dispatch,” she wrote via e-mail. “I don’t know when the sign was removed or taken.”
Sorry your Red Phone wasn’t able to get to the bottom of the disappearing signage. Perhaps someone in the community might know a little more and give the Red Phone a call.
