Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Resident urges action after Claiborne Riley gym remains closed; says delayed summer opening affected youth programs
Loading...
Summary
Jessica Ramirez, speaking as a resident and parent, told the Parks and Recreation Board the Claiborne Riley gym has been closed and a promised May 1 opening was delayed; she said a shortage of coaches forced her daughter's youth soccer team to forfeit a game and she referenced the recent death of an eighth-grade student.
Jessica Ramirez addressed the Parks and Recreation Board during public comment as a resident of the Cleberg Riley neighborhood and described community concerns over the Claiborne Riley gym that has remained closed past a promised reopening date.
Ramirez said her daughter, a 10-year-old soccer player, had to forfeit a game because there was only one coach covering multiple age groups. Ramirez said the gym at Claiborne Riley — the same gym visited by a former first lady in 2012, she said — has been closed and neglected and that a promised May 1 reopening had not occurred; Ramirez described the situation as “another delay, another broken commitment.”
Ramirez also asked the board to reflect on the “cost of inaction,” citing the May 12 death by suicide of an eighth-grade student, Evan Marco Vasquez, and saying she wanted the board to consider connections between youth services, access to community spaces and mental-health supports.
Ending: Ramirez asked for attention and action to restore promised recreation access and supports for youth in her neighborhood; she offered to follow up with staff and requested the board consider the broader effects of delayed facilities and reduced youth programming.
Note: The comments above are attributed to a public speaker, Jessica Ramirez, and reflect her statements during the meeting. The transcript records the death she referenced as a claim made by Ramirez; the board did not record further action or verification in the meeting transcript.
