January 26, 2019 Letter to #PuertoRico Governor @ricardorosello: Strengthening Communities & Individuals in the United States of America
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STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS
IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
January 25, 2019
Governor Ricardo Rosello
La Fortaleza, San Juan, PR
Re: Revitalization of the Parque Punta Las Marias, Santurce, PR
Dear Governor,
Happy new year to you and your families, and continued blessings to the First Lady of Puerto Rico on her health recovery. I follow your moves as you publish them on Twitter, and must say that you are doing a most excellent job for the residents of the island and the land itself.
Though I was raised on the island, I live in Connecticut and work as a Special Educator through my organization, the Scalzi Originals Foundation, (ScalziOriginals.US). My letter to you is regarding a project I have undertaken as part of my work; the revitalization of Parque Punta Las Marias. It is four parcels of land adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean on Loiza Street (frente al Pollo Tropical y al lado del restaurante ‘Blue Burger’) that is used by fishermen, skateboarders and community residents seeking to get some respite from the enclosed street life in that immediate section of the neighborhood.
As it is, it is not safe and though it has mural art work on the remaining walls that stand from what use to be a former residence, the area is neglected and a blight. I placed 
formal complaints with the Oficina del Estorbo Publico and they started and concluded a course of work that has begun an initiative for the municipal government of San Juan to reclaim the property.
formal complaints with the Oficina del Estorbo Publico and they started and concluded a course of work that has begun an initiative for the municipal government of San Juan to reclaim the property.
It is a piece of land that has been experienced over a decade of community activism from area residents calling out against residential/ commercial development. The title of the land belongs to no one and the court documents are housed in the Bayamon Courthouse. I have plenty of research on the matter.
In working with a local school and youth organizations in the area, my goal is to raise community awareness that leads towards a community-wide call to create a multi-use skateboarding, fishing, and garden park of the area that is maintained by the government. Students from Robinson School are taking on essay writing in Spanish to spread awareness on the beautification of the land.
I have written to the Mayor of San Juan on repeated occasions and have not heard back. I understand that this is a small project, but it would be the first official skateboarding park in San Juan, and the creation of a multi-use park for youth, adults, and senior citizens would be a great win for your office. Skateboarding is set to be an Olympic sport starting in the 2020 Tokyo games next year. Puerto Rico should compete eventually at some point. The four parcels of land are large enough to carve out space for all of the functions proposed above.
I leave you with the following words and await your kind response, knowing well that you are a busy, man of action: A skateboarding park brings together people from different ethnic, political and economic classes. Making the park family-friendly maintains parents and community residents as caretakers of it. Through my foundation, I was key facilitator in the effort to revitalize the family-frindliness of the largest 
skatepark in Connecticut (Stamford, Ct.’s Scalzi Skatepark), turning it from a place that had obscene graffiti on its surfaces, broken glass and an ‘element’ that was decisively not family-friendly, into one that is welcoming to all. It takes continued work between community and government to keep it this way.
skatepark in Connecticut (Stamford, Ct.’s Scalzi Skatepark), turning it from a place that had obscene graffiti on its surfaces, broken glass and an ‘element’ that was decisively not family-friendly, into one that is welcoming to all. It takes continued work between community and government to keep it this way.
Esteemed Governor, I ask to work with your office in guiding the design and construction of the park. I see the manifestation of this vision being a tremendous political boost to cementing your growing legacy as a governor of and for the people.
Blessings to you and your family,
Coach Bill Stowell-Alonso
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