New Downtown Park Should Bear Richard Milanovich’s Name

As the growth and expansion continue in downtown Palm Springs, things are finally beginning to take shape. The recent announcement by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of a new Cultural Center in the heart of Palm Strings will only add to the luster.

One of the accouterments is a new downtown park. Locals are excited as this can be an oasis away from the hustle and bustle. Community gatherings and concerts can be held there. The only thing lacking right now is a name.

While some would like to see the park named after pioneer Nellie Coffman, I would like to see consideration given to naming it after long-time Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band Of Cahuilla Indians  Richard Milanovich.

For over 3 decades, Mr. Milanovich chaired the Tribe. Through the tumultuous times of the introduction of Indian Gaming, He was at the forefront of helping to bring Native people in California out of the crushing poverty he had himself had grown u in.

Besides all that, he just was a generally great man. I interviewed him on many occasions and with deeply impressed with his generosity of spirit. He truly loved Palm Springs. Under his tutelage, the Tribe gave away vast amounts of money to help local agencies and charities. None of which they were obligated to do.

One of my favorite interactions with him involved baseball. We were planning on trying to get Palm Springs to name a baseball field after Johnny Tortes, a member of the Agua Nation, who played in the major leagues in the early 20^th century. Richard took ill and then passed away in 2012 before we could finish the project.

Naming the new park after Mr. Milanovich would go a long way to helping heal some recent rifts between some local residents and the Tribe. It would serve also as a reminder to recent arrivals that Palm Springs is also part of an Indian Reservation and the Agua Caliente people have both a spiritual and historical connection to the land.

And finally, naming the park after Richard is simply the right thing to do. He loved Palm Springs and helped so many people. In life, he never sought the limelight. Let’s do something to change that.

Steve Kelly is a longtime Coachella Broadcaster who currently serves as a broadcast consultant at College Of The Desert. He can be reached at skellykcod@gmail.com