Double dutch event looks to jump start improved Atlantic City park

Indra Owens grew up in Atlantic City. But she never played in the park honoring the first African-American resident to die in World War II. Through the years, Harold Brown’s Park came to be known for drugs and violence. Sandwiched between two of the city’s most troubled areas — Stanley Holmes Village and Schoolhouse Apartments — and just a couple of blocks from the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, it became a haven for illegal activities. But on Memorial Day, the city will unveil the new park, including a memorial to the man it’s meant to honor. There will also be four cameras to keep watch. ”The park opening is going to be a great event,” said Owens, 35. “There are people my age who have never played in that park.” And she’s going to make sure it’s not the last great event there. Going back to her own childhood in the city, her Princess Inc. group will hold a double dutch event with 17 rounds, giveaways every hour and prizes on June 10. “Kids are so addicted to social media, we have 13- and 14-year-old girls who don’t know how to use their bodies,” she said. But she and others have been working on that, having meetings to get the girls ready for “Let’s Jump.” They even went on a shopping trip to make sure the girls have the right sports bras for the event. “I love the game of double dutch, and that’s how I stayed out of trouble when I was growing up,” Owens said. Let’s Jump begins at 2 p.m., and anyone from the surrounding are welcome. “We’re just all way excited about this,” Owens said.