La Palma Park

 

La Palma Park

Noel Laflin

5-14-22

 

I was reading about the creation of La Palma Park some eighty odd years ago, which got me to thinking about all the time I used to spend there growing up.

 

Early memories revolve around all the members of our district's Cub Scout packs recreating the battle of Lexington, or maybe it was Bunker Hill, on the football field while parents, Boy Scouts, and other spectators in the old concrete bleachers cheered us on. I don't remember exactly which battle it was, some sixty years later, but I recall I was dressed in blue, and carried a wooden musket as I ran across the fifty yard line, so I suppose I fought for Washington. It was nice being on the winning side.

 

Later that year, Cubs and parents gathered in the park once again, this time around the sunken fire pit close to the sports field as awards were handed out. New Bobcats joined the ranks and arrow points were presented.

 

On the way back to our car, a woman walking in front of us passed out, and quite unexpectedly died in her husband's arms as he cradled her there on a sidewalk in the dark. It was the first time I saw death up close, and the memory is never far away, even all these years later.

 

As I grew older, I participated in Scout-O-Rama held yearly on the sports field in La Palma Park - the very field I ran across chasing redcoats years prior. My friend Steve told me all about these two guys named Simon and Garfunkel and just how cool their songs were. I wasn’t much interested at the time, but realize now just how wise this fellow Scout was. Another friend's dad taught us all about fingerprinting, as that's what he did as a job for the Anaheim PD. It led to a merit badge eventually.

 

In high school one could gain extra points in gym class if you went to any Anaheim High home football game, which was always held in La Palma Park. Some new guy would invariably ask where that was and coach would always respond, "Just follow the lights, boys, just follow the lights." And we did.

 

My godparents, who survived the massive flood that hit Anaheim in March of 1938, once mentioned that many of the mature palm trees in La Palma Park had a weird curve near their top as they were just seedlings freshly planted before the floodwaters bent them over. Those that survived continued to grow, but never could straighten out that early blow to their development. I looked for that on more than one occasion, and they were right.

 

Oh, and finally, there were all of the high school baccalaureates and graduation ceremonies that were held on that old field as well - including my own.

 

I haven't been to the park in years, but that's alright. I seem to have enough memories to last me a while.