On Aug. 12, Mesa Colony participated in an event that was decades in coming! 

After more than 40 years, the community was present for the ground breaking of a joint-use park. The park is located on the site of the Harriet Tubman Village Charter School. 

The effort to get a park in the area was started in the 1970 by long-time resident Mark Brynning and it has been consistently pursued by Troy Murphree, another resident of the area. Terry Shirley, past chair of the community group, was also instrumental, as was the support from the College Area Community Council. It took many years of meetings, patience, reminders, and a good deal of nudging until it finally happened. 

Support for the project was given by Marti Emerald when she was the area’s council member, and further pursued by Council member Georgette Gomez when she was elected to represent District 9. Staff from the San Diego Unified School District, specifically Lee Dulgeroff of the Chief Facilities Planning and Construction Office, and the current CEO and Principal of Tubman Charter School Dr. Ryan Woodard.

Tubman Charter is a K-8 school, previously known as Muir Elementary. The new park will consist of a grass playing field, a running track, trees, picnic tables, water fountain, and a shaded play structure, and existing basketball courts. The park will be open to the community after school hours, and during school breaks. 

—Saul Amerling writes on behalf of the Mesa Colony Community Group.