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A small park in the heart of the working-class Pacoima neighborhood where he grew up may soon be renamed Ritchie Valens Park to honor the late rock 'n' roll legend.
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Friday to rename Paxton Park, drawing applause from half a dozen of Valens' family members and friends who carried a banner and photo of the teen-age rock star. The name change must be approved by the city's Recreation and Parks Commission.
Born Richard Valenzuela in Pacoima, Valens gained fame in the 1950s before dying at 17 in a 1959 plane crash that also claimed the lives of...