City of Rochester
News Release
(Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren has
officially renamed the Clinton-Baden R-Center, located at 485 N. Clinton Ave.,
as the Trenton & Pamela Jackson Clinton-Baden R-Center during a ceremony
and celebration at the Center. Among
those joining Mayor Warren were City Council President Loretta Scott, City
Council Vice President Willie Lightfoot, Councilmember LaShay Harris,
Commissioner of Recreation and Youth Services Daniele Lyman-Torres, and Mrs.
Pamela Jackson and members of the Jackson family.
Trent and Pam Jackson were fixtures at the former
Clinton-Baden Community Center, the precursor to the current R-Center, for many
years. Cynthia Elliott, Assistant to the
Executive Director at Baden St., approached Mayor Warren with the suggestion of
naming the R-Center after the couple who had made such a tremendous impact on
the lives of the many youth and families who utilized the facility.
“When Cynthia suggested renaming the R-Center after Trent
and Pam Jackson, I thought it was an excellent idea,” said Mayor Warren. “I immediately engaged my team and went to
work on making it a reality. These two
individuals have contributed so much to our community and the people who live
here, especially in this neighborhood. I
can’t think of anyone who could possibly be more deserving of this honor.”
Trent Jackson, who passed away in 2007, was one of
Rochester’s greatest athletes and coaches.
He competed in the Olympic Games in Tokyo and played professional
football for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles before returning
home to work for the Rochester City School District for more than 30
years. He coached and mentored thousands
of youth in the Rochester community throughout his lifetime, many of them through
his volunteer work with Baden St.
Pam Jackson worked at the Clinton-Baden Community Center
for more than 50 years, serving as the Center Director for the past 45 years
until her retirement last December. She
coordinated the first before and after school programs at Schools #6 and #9, and
has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for her outstanding
service to the community.
During today’s renaming celebration, replicas of the new
signage and a bronze plaque that will be placed on the exterior of the building
were unveiled.
Additional speakers at the event included Trent Jackson
Jr. and Yolanda Jackson, children of Trent and Pam, Baden Street’s Cynthia
Elliott, along with Jackson family friends Michael Swinton, Glenn Gamble and
Tony Jordan. The First Genesis Baptist Church
Choir also performed several musical selections.
Mayor Warren also announced today that World Champion
boxer, Rochester’s own Charles “The Natural” Murray, will run a new boxing
program at the Center that will provide training in the sport for both youth
and adults. The program will take place
twice a week and on Saturdays.
City Council is set to vote on funding for the new boxing
program at its February meeting.
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Media Contact: For
more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo, 428-7135.