Calderon Responds_email after mtg From: "Calderon, Roberto" <beto@unt.edu>
To: "Isabella Pina-Hinojosa <dentonlulac@verizon.net>" <dentonlulac@verizon.net>; Rudy Rodriguez
<rrodriguez1445@verizon.net>; "Jerry Vela <jerry.vela@gmail.com>" <jerry.vela@gmail.com>; "Rolando
Vela Muzquiz <grvela@verizon.net>" <grvela@verizon.net>; "Yolanda Vela <ymarta@aol.com>"
<ymarta@aol.com>; Dorothy Martinez <auroradorothy@yahoo.com>; "Roberto R. Calderon
<pasodelaguila@gmail.com>" <pasodelaguila@gmail.com>; "Frank R. Perez
<chihuahua6467@yahoo.com>" <chihuahua6467@yahoo.com>; "Gloria Contreras
<pipilchitas@yahoo.com>" <pipilchitas@yahoo.com>; "Daniel Hinojosa <danielh6@verizon.net>"
<danielh6@verizon.net>
Sent: Monday, November 7, 2011 8:27 PM
Subject: Fotos I Vela Park Initiative I City of Denton Park, Rec, & Beautification Bd Mtg 1 11.7.11 (Mon)
Dear All,
Here's a sample of the photographs I took at this evening's meeting of the Parks, Recreation and
Beautification Board Meeting held at the Denton Civic Center at which the committee as
gathered voiced unanimously against recommending for the renaming of South Lakes Park to G.
Roland Vela South Lakes Park without offering in any way a comment or rationale or
justification for their decision and vote. They moved up the item as listed on the agenda from
fourth place to the first item of discussion and it was all over in a matter of five minutes. I stayed
afterwards and continued taking photographs after Rudy Rodriguez stood up as the decision was
announced by the board chair and repeated with emphasis twice that this was "Shameful!
Shameful!" (Or did Rudy say: "Shame on you! Shame on you!" I'll leave it to your memories to
decide.) Rudy then proceeded to stand briefly in front of Rolando Vela who was seated and in
the audience and expounded on the contributions of Dr. Vela to the city, long before most of you
were residents of this city, or something to the effect, he said. Point taken. When I exited the
meeting everyone had left except for Isabella Pina-Hinojosa and Daniel Hinojosa. We discussed
the proceedings and Chavela suggested we go back into the meeting, adrede. And we did. We sat
at the table with the committee members and I continued taking pictures. Chavela took notes. At
one point one of the members of the board raised a question about wanting to discuss further the
protocol for renaming parks, but Vorel, the Parks and Rec Director, responded that the city was
currently developing a citywide policy for naming and renaming parks and that it would
supersede whatever discussion might take place there in response to the board member's
question. That this policy will be brought to the attention of th board when it is ready for
discussion and public hearing. Vorel cut off discussion of said protocol while we were present at
the table and in the room. The board members left shortly after as the meeting's agenda was
complete, not ten to fifteen minutes after our members and supporters, all 15 of us, had walked
out and left, all except for three of us as noted already. Vorel came over to the table where
Chavela and Daniel were seated and took a seat and made like he wanted to talk. He didn't really
say much to add to what had already occurred, which was simply to state the decision without
elaborating the reasons why the decision had been made. He did say that at a future meeting of
the city council he will be appearing before the council and letting them know of the board's
decision this evening. That he would notify Chavela and the council so that we could attend and
comment in the public comment part of the said meeting, assuming public comment is part of the
protocol. I'll let Chavela tell us her sense of Vorel's conversation at this point. I took more photos
and interjected a few comments as he and Chavela spoke. It's clear that our council was
completely disrespected, and the fact that we are all taxpayers didn't matter much. The attitude
and exercise on their part was dismissive. That's how I read it. The African American board
member, Vicki Byrd, apparently voted with the otherwise all-white majority of the board, she
being the only non-white person on the board. She did not direct her gaze at us and before and
after the meeting, that I saw at least, and she did not linger to greet us and much less speak with
us either. At least from my being busy taking photographs, I did not see this happen. Perhaps she
did. I don't think she'll be returning to another one of our Saturday monthly meetings any time
soon after this performance to advise us on what to do. Vorel diverted his gaze throughout most
of the short board meeting that I saw at least especially and certainly when we were all still there
physically in attendance prior to and right after the "verdict" was read. Chavela, Daniel and I all
departed in separate vehicles after we left Vorel with Jim Hays, one of the board members who
hung around and even wanted to say hi and shake hands with Chavela, Daniel and I after the
short sitdown talk with Vorel was over. Hays, the woman taking the minutes, Mary Auckerman
(who may be a board member or may be a city employee in attendance to take minutes), and
Vorel remained inside as the three of us left some 20-25 minutes after everyone else on our side
of this initiative had already left. The campaign continues. Adelante.
Roberto
Nota: We can use any of these fotos to place on our LULAC Council#4366 website or for any
other purpose connected to this campaign. I only ask that attribution or credit be given for the
source of the photographs.