VINTON, Texas (KTSM) — After weeks of controversy surrounding the naming of a new park along Kiely Road in Vinton, city council voted without public comment to name the space “Acacia Park.”
On Wednesday, council responded to public backlash over the new name in a Facebook post.
“Throughout our park naming campaign, the Village Council was heartened by the passionate contributions and strong engagement from residents. Your involvement reflected a deep care for our community and its future.
However, we also recognize that the process brought about some conflicts and divisions, making it difficult to reach common ground. This outcome was far from our original intention. Our goal from the beginning was to foster unity and positive community engagement.
In light of this, and after careful consideration, the Village Council held a formal vote at yesterday’s council meeting and made the decision to move forward with a new name for our community park, Acacia Park.
The name is inspired by the acacia tree, a symbol of strength, resilience, and unity. These qualities reflect the spirit of our village. Just as acacia trees thrive in diverse environments and grow deep, interconnected roots, so too do the relationships we build as neighbors.
As part of this new chapter, acacia trees will be planted throughout the park, offering beauty, shade, and a lasting reminder of what brings us together.
This decision was made with a hope that Acacia Park will become a space that embodies our shared values and helps us move forward together.
We sincerely thank you for your understanding, and for your continued dedication to our community.”
@VillageofVinton on Facebook
The park was originally put to a public vote on the city’s website to be named after one of two individuals: Coach Jose Medel or Staff Sgt. Alfredo Martinez.
Medel was a community servant before his passing in 2019. He was a longtime teacher at Bill Childress Elementary and hosted a number of community events.
Martinez, also from Vinton, was a U.S. Army sergeant who tragically passed away while on post at Fort Cavazos. His death in 2023 was originally ruled a suicide by Army officials, but as more evidence came to light, that ruling was changed. Now, another soldier is facing charges in Martinez’s death.
Allegations surfaced during the voting process that a lack of security measures have allowed the site to be hacked, sending more votes to Martinez.
Commenters on the city’s Facebook page also took issue with vote itself, with sharing the sentiment that it should have never taken place. Alternatively, many commenters suggesting that the park should be named after both men in some way.
“We’ve been really torn about the process and the way it’s played out and kind of how it’s shifted into outside of the Vinton community. It’s shifted to a popularity contest,” one member of the Medel family said.
A member of the Martinez family telling KTSM, “I wonder why they made all the people go [through] that stress for two whole weeks [and] just name it something else.”
It’s important to note that KTSM reached out to multiple members for comment on this story and only heard back after the vote had taken place from one party.
Wednesday’s post did not address any of the allegations of the vote being hacked in Martinez’s favor.
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