Artesia Fights Obesity With New Revamped Parks

Official seal of City of Artesia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Kristin Grafft

The city of Artesia welcomed their second tot lot park to their community with a grand opening of free games and healthy treats on Thursday, October 3.

Thanks to the combined efforts of First 5 LA and the LA Conservation Corps, the city of Artesia hopes to fight childhood obesity with these revitalized and revamped parks aimed specifically towards the needs of children under the age of five.

“On behalf of the City of Artesia, I would like to thank First 5 LA and the LA Conservation Corps for creating this critically needed new recreational play area for our families with young children,” said Parks & Recreation Superintendent Melissa Gobas.

One of the goals of First 5 LA is to help children maintain a healthy weight. The “Tot Parks & Trails Program” hopes to do that by promoting physical activity in young children.

According to First 5 LA, local parks are often designed for older children, with limited opportunities for children under the age of five. The Tot Park and Trail program is working to change that by improving existing parks to better accommodate the needs of the families and children nearby.

According to a statement, the program creates “innovative, safe, and vibrant play spaces by installing new playground equipment and stroller trails for 0 to 5 year olds.”

Karen Robertson-Fall, program officer with First 5 LA, said, “By providing spaces for play and physical activity, the Barber Park will promote exercise and help youngsters maintain a healthy weight.”

The first park to be revitalized in Artesia was the A.J. Paddleford Park, located at 1870 169th Street. This was also the third of 10 new Tot Parks and Trails sites that will be opening over the next year in LA County’s Fourth Supervisorial District.

Baber Park, the fourth and newest edition, can be found at 17189 Baber Avenue.