Not giving up on effort to name a street after Rosa Parks

In a recent conversation with Mr. Watkins of the Thousand Oaks city staff, I learned that changing the name of a street or boulevard in Thousand Oaks would create an uproar. Mr. Watkins spoke from experience. He contacted me regarding my appeal for a street to be named in Thousand Oaks to honor the memory of the late Rosa Parks.

Since so many hurdles are to be overcome in the naming of a street in Thousand Oaks, perhaps the city could follow the lead of Ventura and Oxnard, which reserve such naming in future developments.

Susan L. Martin, AICP, planning and environmental services manager for the city of Oxnard, wrote to me that the city of Oxnard has established polices for naming all streets, whether private or public: "The policies specify that new streets in the southeastern part of the city. . . be named after 'notable or historically significant people, including local famous people and historic pioneer families.'" Clearly, Ms. Parks would fit into this category.

"New development has been proposed in this area of the city, and as appropriate, your suggestion will be considered by the Street Naming Committee."

The memory of Rosa Parks should be honored locally as well as nationally.

Salt Lake City and Los Angeles already have boulevards named in her honor. Rosa Parks' refusal to move to the back of a city bus because she was black triggered the civil rights movement which swept our nation and captured the world's imagination.

I prevail upon a future Thousand Oaks developer to seriously consider naming a street in memory of this distinguished woman. A statue of Rosa Parks is being prepared for the rotunda of the nation's capitol. A street or boulevard in her name would be proper locally.

We owe this to our children. Samuel Rosen Newbury Park