As she stood among the Leadership Redondo Class of 2014, lead artist Erika Snow Robinson was, as she later put it, totally stoked.
“I can’t wait to cut this thing down!” she exclaimed to the crowd of more than a hundred Redondo Beach citizens in attendance for the October 17 ribbon-cutting reveal of Parson’s Project for Kids, Leadership 2014’s class project. The effort was a renewal of the Children’s Rooms for both of the city’s two libraries, done in honor of former Redondo Beach councilman and vaunted citizen John Parsons.
Parsons died on August 22, 2013, following a massive stroke suffered just outside the Redondo Beach Council Chambers two days earlier. Parsons, who took pride in not missing a council meeting since the 1980s, had earlier spoke in favor of new public art projects within the city. He was 61.
The remodel features two new literacy-building workstations, a new play area, and a mural featuring beloved children’s book characters, as well as a portrait of Parsons.
“While he would pretend this is very embarrassing, I think he’d be thrilled,” said Nikki Parsons of her father. “The library has always featured very prominently in our lives, not only for all of the meetings he would attend upstairs, but even up to when I was in college, when I would tutor here and we would meet up before council meetings. It means a lot to us.”
Redondo Beach Mayor Steve Aspel, when speaking of his longtime friend, was forced to pause mid-speech, caught up by his emotions.
“I just love John and after his family, he lived for the city. But as soon as I start talking about him, I’m in trouble,” Aspel said. The two became friends in elementary school, and continued a friendship from “when they were skinny,” as Aspel put it, to their time together in service of the city.
“He’s a great guy, and I wish he was still here,” Aspel continued. “You need a confidant who has the courage to tell you what you’re doing wrong and what you’re doing right, without being adversarial, and that was John.”
Once the ribbon had been cut and the covers thrown aside, Robinson and her Leadership Redondo team were overjoyed with celebration.
“I’ve been here almost every day for 42 days, and some of those were ten hour days, some were 12, some were six…I’m just thrilled, thrilled, thrilled,” Robinson said between celebratory hugs with friends.
But the work didn’t stop with Saturday’s party; the North Branch Library’s project is still ongoing and, according to Robinson, that project is about a third of the way toward completion, and is due to be finished on November 7.
“I’m honored, and this has been like giving birth,” Robinson said. “This is my baby.” ER
