Salomón Baldenegro deserves recognition at city park

The City Council has imposed a moratorium on naming and renaming city properties — a decision that has blocked, for now, a well‑earned recognition for Salomón R. Baldenegro. Over six decades of community service, Baldenegro helped create key local institutions and enhanced Tucsonans’ lives.

His work began in 1970, when Barrio Hollywood residents, including Baldenegro, still lived with unpaved streets and no park despite repeated campaign promises. When newly elected officials failed to act, Baldenegro took charge, embracing the same assertive strategy used by the surging Chicano civil‑rights movement across the Southwest. He organized community protests at El Rio Golf Course, demanding a neighborhood park, pressuring city leaders to negotiate.

The city agreed to create a new park on Silverbell Road — now Joaquin Murrieta Park — and to build the multi-purpose El Rio Neighborhood Center. The moment marked a political turning point: Westside barrios had flexed their political muscle and could no longer be ignored. The action also began the community empowerment movement.

Baldenegro’s contributions expanded. He directed Pima College services for disabled and disadvantaged students. He later directed the Youth Services Bureau, which evolved into Youth Development Inc. It ran programs ranging from juvenile court diversion to shelters for abused youths.

At the University of Arizona, Baldenegro taught and mentored students, many from low-income families. He served as assistant dean of students and helped found a Mexican American resource center and a research center. He focused on helping students, hundreds of whom hold key positions in Arizona’s workplace. Lupita Hightower, for example, said Baldenegro’s mentoring improved her self-confidence, a quality that proved vital as school-district superintendent in Phoenix.

Seventeen months ago, our grassroots group began efforts to rename Murrieta Park for Baldenegro. We filed an application, raised the $10,000 city fee, and gathered 1,000 petition signatures and online endorsements. On February 25, supporters spoke to the Parks and Recreation Commission, requesting the name change to honor Baldenegro. The commission unanimously recommended, 6-0, the renaming and forwarded it to the City Council.

Soon after, we met with Mayor Regina Romero and Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz. The two cited political disagreements with Baldenegro. Each, however, said they would support the renaming.

The very next day, disturbing reports of sexual abuse surfaced about César Chávez, the late farmworker union leader. Romero and Santa Cruz said they were devastated. Over six months, Santa Cruz declined our requests to meet with her.

At the Sept. 9 Council meeting, several community members spoke glowingly about Baldenegro’s lifetime of service. Then, two speakers cited 1973 newspaper stories to oppose the renaming. The articles reported Baldenegro had been arrested, based on a gas station attendant’s allegation that he was hitting his then‑wife in his car. Baldenegro denied the claim; his wife declined to press charges, and the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. Case closed.

Yet, 53 years later, one woman argued that it's common for domestic violence victims to decline to press charges. While that shaky argument might apply in some cases, it proves nothing about Baldenegro. The two speakers offered no evidence. It's time to end baseless smears on his reputation.

Baldenegro's current wife, Ceci Cruz Baldenegro, told the Council that he has never been violent to her or others in a half-century of being together.

Santa Cruz didn’t mention Baldenegro in her remarks. She said the Chavez revelations had caused her, a sexual assault survivor, profound pain. She proposed a moratorium to provide more time for new naming guidelines. Councilman Kevin Dahl disagreed, noting the proposal’s community support and the overly long approval process.

The moratorium passed 4-3 with Santa Cruz, Selina Barajas and Miranda Schubert in favor. Romero cast the deciding vote. Dahl voted no, as did Paul Cunningham and Nikki Lee. Dahl would have supported the renaming. He said any moratorium proposal should have waited until a renaming vote had taken place.

We agree. In fairness to Baldenegro, now in his early 80s, the council should amend the moratorium and approve the park proposal -- now. It'd be an appropriate honor for the person highly responsible for the park’s existence.