Contact: 

• John Fanestil, 619-823-6223, johnfanestil@gmail.com
• Dan Watman, 619-954-9710, dan.watman@gmail.com
• Enrique Morones, 619-977-9467, enriquemorones@cox.net
• Jim Brown, 619.682.4083, jb@publicdigital.com

FRIENDS OF FRIENDSHIP PARK WELCOME NEWS OF CONTINUING PUBLIC ACCESS TO HISTORIC MEETING PLACE ON US-MEXICO BORDER
Community Leaders Call on Public to Continue Visiting the Park

Friends of Friendship Park welcomed today the announcement by San Diego Border Patrol Chief Paul Beeson that until further notice routine public access WILL CONTINUE at Friendship Park, the historic meeting place overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the U.S.-Mexico border.  Border Patrol staff will ensure that the public will be allowed to visit with family and friends at Friendship Park each Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm. 

While celebrating the news, leaders from the community coalition called on the community to exercise continued vigilance, as Chief Beeson was unable to commit that the park would remain accessible to the public permanently, in light of continuing uncertainty surrounding federal funding of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“We call on San Diego Border Patrol officials to seek every possible avenue to expand rather than reduce public access to Friendship Park, and to seek every opportunity to invest in good relations with our neighboring ally, Mexico,” said Dan Watman, a member of the Friends of Friendship Coalition.

For generations people from both nations have met at Friendship Park, the only place along the entire US/Mexico border that was established specifically to promote cross border relations.   Members of families separated by immigration status often travel great distances to be reunited with their loved ones at this historic location.

Media Contacts

Dan Watman takes a stand in front of a wall building bull dozer 4/8/2009