If you’re looking for a sign about the future of San Jose’s beleaguered St. James Park, it might have shown up in the past week or so.

The sign on the fence surrounding the park’s playground says that adults are allowed in only when accompanied by a child. And while that seems like an obvious notion, park denizens hanging out in the playground has been a longtime problem. And, it has caused many families who would have brought their kids to play there to simply avoid it altogether.

Speaking at a San Jose Downtown Association meeting last month, Executive Director Scott Knies pointed to the signs as part of an overall strategy to make the park a place for everyone — downtown workers, visitors, families, the homeless and other down-on-their-luck people who spend their days there. “That’s not how St. James Park functions now,” Knies said. “We can no longer surrender St. James Park to more years of neglect and anti-social behavior. Our objective is simply to have a more balanced St. James Park.”

It’ll take effort and a lot of money over several years, Knies said, pointing to the need to engage the community in a design process, establish a park management district to provide funds and add amenities that will make it an attractive downtown destination. “The park needs revitalization on every level,” he said.

The signs are a good start, but they’ll need to be enforced before we see a lot more kids playing there. On an afternoon this week, a San Jose park ranger was explaining the rules to a couple of guys right outside the fence, where many people who would have hung out on the playground structures and at the tables inside have gravitated. It’s a small step, but for St. James Park, any step in a positive direction is a good thing.

THE FUNNY THING ABOUT SAN JOSE: While most of the Bay Area’s big comedy stars are launched from San Francisco clubs, San Jose actually has a growing scene for local improv and stand-up comedy. That’s the focus of the next ImagineSJ event, the panel discussion series hosted by Kooltura Marketing and Future Arts Now that aims to provide insight into the city’s culture by hearing from the people who create it.

Demone Carter will host the showcase Wednesday at downtown’s SoFA Market, featuring performances and a panel discussion with a few local funny people: comedian and promoter Ato Walker, Comedy Sportz marketing director Courtney Pong and comedians Robert Parra, Pete Muñoz and PX Florio.

The free event starts at 7 p.m. at 387 S. First St. Get more information or register at http://imaginesj-comedy.eventbrite.com.

OUTFOXED AGAIN: Dick Pfaff has been getting quite a bit of teasing from friends who read my item about his wallet being purloined and chewed up by a sneaky fox at Los Lagos Golf Course. The former San Jose State administrator says he got a missive from Dick Sullivan, one of his old Bellarmine College Prep classmates, who jokingly warned him that he might want to watch out for the cops: “Feeding wildlife is illegal,” Sullivan wrote.

Contact Sal Pizarro at spizarro@mercurynews.com. Follow him at Facebook.com/mercurynews.aroundtown and Twitter.com/spizarro.