Randy Young donation will allow flooring in Preschool Room Gallery to be replaced
By Dolores Quintana
Randy Young, lifelong Pacific Palisades resident, photographer and local historian, has made a donation of $11,000 to the Rustic Canyon Recreation Center to allow the Center to replace the flooring in the Preschool Room Gallery in September. The funds from the donation were used along with money from the facility’s MRP fund.
Rustic Canyon Recreation Center provides the community with cultural programs like arts and crafts, preschool services, camps, hobbies and games. The park has facilities for sports as well like tennis and basketball courts, a baseball diamond, a performance stage, seasonal pool, dance and exercise classes, and BBQ pits and is located at 601 Latimer Road in Santa Monica, CA.
The RAP report on the donation said, “Nestled in a rugged setting, Rustic Canyon Recreation Center offers a comfortable environment for RAP programs, including art, dance, and cultural classes. The Preschool Room Gallery overlooks the mountainside ridge that leads to the lower level fields. The restoration of this room’s flooring to coincide with its original look is appealing to the facility’s location and history.”
The report further stated that, “Randy Young is a resident of the Pacific Palisades/Santa Monica community who has an interest in preserving the heritage of the area. In furtherance of the Department of Recreation and Parks’ (RAP) mission to enrich the lives of the residents of Los Angeles, Mr. Young wants to provide a welcoming environment at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center by helping to restore the facility back to its historical roots.”
In addition, Randy Young is the curator of the Pacific Palisades Historical Society and he and his mother Betty Lou Young published a number of books on the area including “Our First Century: The Los Angeles Athletic Club, 1880-1980” “Rustic Canyon and the Story of the Uplifters”, “Santa Monica Canyon, A Walk Through History”, “Street Names of Pacific Palisades and Other Tales”, and “Where the Mountains Meet the Sea”, according to Circling The News.
The president of the Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners, Sylvia Patsaouras, also gave her thanks to Young and said, as quoted by Circling The News, “Thank you to Mr. Young for his donation.”
In a quote to Circling the News, Randy Young said, “For over 65 years I have had the most wonderful memories formed around Rustic Canyon Park. It still has a magic spirit that all who visit can feel. Donating what I can to keep that spirit alive is the least I can do. I also want to highlight the leadership of the director of the park, Paige Barnes, who has helped so much in getting the place back together.”
