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Huntington Beach, CA--Norma Brandel Gibbs Park Sims Grove is one of
those endearing stories and an interesting chapter in
the book of Huntington Beach Parks that hasn't fully
unfolded. The park at one point was located in the
region of Huntington Beach's Meadowlark Airport. It's
hard to believe that HB did have an airport when you
look at the development filled with houses and shopping.
Offering shady groves of eucalyptus, a beetle
infestation destroyed many of the park's trees and the park
looked like a skeleton of its former self at some point. This
same park had previously enjoyed status as an eco-tourism site
on the Huntington Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau literature.
Slightly out of the way across from Meadowlark Golf Course on
Graham Street, the park offers only a few parking spaces, so it
has never been suited to accommodate large events and groups.
Named after Norma Brandel Gibbs who
served Huntington Beach City Council
1970-1978 and
Mayor 1975-1976, the park caught the eye of local
citizens who felt the park had become a disgrace (around
2006.) Citizens such as a woman named Leslie Gilson
rallied to raise money to plant new trees, and they have
worked to create a habitat for Monarch butterflies, that
this park once was.
Not without challenges and problems, the
city has cut back on watering in city parks, and there
have been disagreements between citizens and city
officials over the care of the park. Water for new
plants has come from the generosity of neighbors whose
homes line the park. One resident even allows citizen
caregivers to store items in his yard.
Be sure to take time to drop by and
stroll this park. You can sit under a shady tree and
have a picnic, or you can walk around the small park in
an easy stroll. It is located on Graham Street
between Heil & Warner streets in Huntington Beach.
Huntington Beach Art
Huntington Beach Parks
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