At Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park in Harbor City, California, the grass was no longer green, and the little water that remained in the lake had lost its once-crystalline appearance. It seemed that this ecological oasis had been forgotten and was now hidden in weeds, trash, and contaminated water.
Today, the park–located in between Harbor College, a golf course, and an oil refinery–is closed. It is being restored, thanks to a $111-million ecosystem rehabilitation project centered around the park’s Lake Machado.
Funding for the park’s rehabilitation is possible through Proposition O, a park bond initiative that was approved by voters back in November of 2004.
But why did it take so long to begin the restoration process? Some contribute the delay to municipal neglect in a community that has a predominantly low-income, non-voting constituency.