Mayor Warren Dedicates Trenton & Pamela Jackson Clinton-Baden R-Center

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.