“I wasn't able to arrange the sunshine,” said City Manager Dan Singer noting the heavily overcast sky, “but it is an honor to be here, especially with the folks behind me and all of the support staff that that brought this together. It was years and years in the making and I'll let them tell that story to you.”

City Council members Jenny Crosswhite, Gabriela Ornelas, Vice Mayor Carlos Juarez and Mayor Pedro Chavez were present, but Singer noted Councilwoman Leslie Cornejo “couldn't be with us. And then our biggest partner in all of this effort, the Limonera Company and the Lewis Limonera Community Development Partnership, have been responsible for building this development,” the Harvest at Limoneira. 

Singer acted as the master of ceremonies, introducing distinguished guests including State Senator Monique Limon and Taylor Spira from Assembly Member Steve Bennett's office, who he said were “instrumental in securing a million dollars,” that will provide park lighting.

Jason Cole, president/chairperson of the Santa Paula Creek Sports Park Foundation, noted the organization is a nonprofit “started with the sole purpose of basically selling naming rights to assets or features of the park… anything as small as a brick or a tree, a drinking fountain or a picnic table or maybe you want to name a soccer field or the park itself.”

Such funds, he added, will be dedicated to park maintenance: “The goal is to raise money through those sales and through events and maybe festivals or fundraisers we hold here at the park, and use that money to support the upkeep of this park into the future for many generations to come.

“I think this place is absolutely gorgeous,” said Cole. “You look around and it's nice to see all this beautiful green grass right here in Santa Paula. We haven't had it for a long time,” but the new 37-acre park has doubled park space in the city.”

Vanessa Olmos, chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, highlighted the park's inclusive playground and its role in fostering community connection, noting “As someone who works closely with our Parks and Rec staff and fellow commissioners, I can tell you, this park has been a dream in the making for many, many years. I remember the community workshops, the groundbreaking ceremony, and now seeing our lovely reality… This isn't just a park, it's a space that says you belong here. Of course, projects like this don't happen overnight. They happen when people, leaders, neighbors, organizations come together with a shared belief in what a community deserves.”

Mayor Pedro Chavez said, “I'd like to say on behalf of the city how thankful we are to one of our biggest champions, and that's Harold Edwards from Limoneira and another one I'm going to call out by name is Randall Lewis.”

The Lewis company is a family-owned business that “is about family. These projects are about community, connection, belonging,” said Chavez. “And today we are all here to witness this amazing space being available to our community, our families, and the entire Santa Paula region.

…. This park is a testament of the joy that we're going to share being with family, being with fellow schoolmates, with your neighbor, with the entire community of Santa Paula coming to a space like this and enjoying the time we have together.”

Chavez noted the park's significance in light of the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and its role in promoting economic uplift and community joy. 

Limoneira President/CEO Harold Edwards shared his personal connection to the project, recalling his own early experiences with AYSO (his mother Marcia Edwards was a program co-founder in 1974) playing at “rock filled” Las Piedras Park and his long-held dream of providing quality sports fields for the community. 

“So,” noted Edwards, “this is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me.”

He gave kudos to former City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz, who in the early 2000s approached Edwards about the development.

“Wally was an incredible visionary who had a dream as well. And he and I shared the same dream, and that dream is what we're realizing today,” albeit after a long wait that included garnering overwhelming voter approval for the Harvest development in 2008 and many years of many processes to build the development that eventually will have more than 2,000 homes.

“And it really is true that all of this would not have been possible for Wally, for Dan, for the city of Santa Paula, for the city council, for Senator Monique Limón, for Assemblyman Bennett, everybody that came together to make all of this happen,” said Edwards.

“Parks like these are natural gathering places where children of all abilities can come together and play, where seniors can socialize with one another, and where neighbors from diverse backgrounds can connect, building a stronger sense of belonging and shared identity,” said Taylor Spira of Assemblyman Steve Bennett’s office, who with Limón jointly presented a proclamation to Mayor Chavez.

Limón underscored the importance of open space and the collaborative effort that made the park possible, highlighting the state's commitment to ensuring equitable access to recreational facilities. 

“This,” she said, “is exciting. And sometimes we look at what's happening in the community and the incredible partnership that it took to make something like this happen. And we are reminded why we do gather. Because every time we make a commitment and a promise to our community about what we want to deliver, it's important to recognize when we hit these milestones,” and the park buildout will continue.  You've heard that this is Phase One and Phase Two is coming.

“It’s important to again recognize this commitment that we have. I look at open space and think about the beauty of open space. For so many people in our community,” said Limón, “this is their backyard. This is their front yard. This is the space where they get to play, where they get to convene, where they bring community together to be in community. And this is what this space creates. Yes, it's a sports complex, but it is also a gathering space for so many.”

Limón noted, “So it's an exciting time to be here, with all of you, with incredible partners who have been at this and who have been trying to deliver this for Santa Paula for over 20 years. Assemblymember Bennett and I played one role in this, and we were so grateful that we were able to secure the funds, but we know that if it wasn't for the passion, for the drive, for the vision that you heard from so many here today that our piece that we played wouldn't have become a reality.”

Following the Ribbon Cutting hundreds of visitors listened to music provided by the Santa Paula High School Jazz Band and others, rode the Kiddies Train, saw youth sports’ demonstrations, and learned more about the park’s amenities, which includes BBQs, an amphitheater, and community garden, among other attractions.