With gold shovels in hand, from left, are West Sacramento Parks and Recreation Director Kate Smith, Mayor Martha Guerrero, Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Councilwoman Dawnté Early and Councilwoman Verna Sulpizio-Hull at the groundbreaking ceremony for Heritage Oaks Park on Lake Washington Boulevard in West Sacramento.

 

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The City of West Sacramento broke ground at Heritage Oaks Park on Aug. 28 to begin a “long-awaited” $7.8-million project on Lake Washington Boulevard, aimed at revitalizing recreational amenities and honoring the park’s history. 

West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, Parks and Recreation Director Kate Smith, Councilwoman Verna Sulpizio-Hull and Congresswoman Doris Matsui gave remarks during the ceremony, sharing what the project is expected to do for the community and how it was developed.

Smith thanked the many city, business and tribal partners that participated in the project.

“A special thanks also goes out to our former parks and recreation director, Traci Michel, who had the initial vision of the park design and was successful in securing the land and water conservation fund,” Smith said during the ceremony’s opening remarks. 

Kate Smith, the parks and recreation director for West Sacramento, speaks at the podium during the groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 28 for Heritage Oaks Park on Lake Washington Boulevard. Standing behind Smith, from left, are West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Councilwoman Verna Sulpizio-Hull.

More than 50 individuals were at Heritage Oaks Park to celebrate the ground-breaking ceremony as well as the opening of a new cafe, located within the park, Emile’s Cafe, which opened in July. Attendees were treated with complimentary coffee, pastries and parfaits from the cafe during the ceremony. Emiele’s is run by the same family responsible for Whitey’s Jolly Kone, a local staple in West Sacramento since 1963.

Guerrero read off a list of upgrades that will enhance the park’s accessibility, recreation and community engagement, while still honoring the land’s cultural heritage. She said that a key amenity included ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)- accessible equipment on playgrounds with poured-in place rubber surfaces. 

The mayor said other amenities featured “a river-themed spray ground; a central gathering area with a restroom, picnic tables and shade trees; an outdoor amphitheater; a health and wellness path; a walking trail with fitness stations and bench seating; an elevated boardwalk that winds through the heritage oak tree grove; and a multiuse turf area.” 

Other additions to the park include a BMX skills course with integrated features for skateboarders, additional picnic tables and drinking fountains, and an expanded parking lot with 29 additional spaces. 

Three million of the $7.8 million was provided through the land and water conservation fund, according to the City of West Sacramento. Conditionally, because of that allocation, the Heritage Oaks Park site must remain dedicated as a public park, in perpetuity. 

Guerrero said the park project is part of the City Council’s vision for West Sacramento as one of the region’s premier cities. 

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, in partnership with the Shingle Springs Rancheria and Wilton Rancheria, are providing cultural training in addition to monitoring the construction project. Smith said their partnership helped inform the park’s design and cultural theme. 

“We look forward to this park becoming a place where all visitors can enjoy beauty and tranquility, reflect on the rich history of the land, recognize the resilience of indigenous communities, and consider their own connections to the land and its original caretakers, past, present and future,” Sulpizio-Hull said.

Emile’s Café Owner Kevin Ericson, left, speaks with West Sacramento Councilwoman Verna Sulpizio-Hull by a table featuring pastries, parfaits and coffee at the Heritage Oaks Park groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 28 in West Sacramento.

Sulpizio-Hull, who is also the vice-mayor, said Heritage Oaks Park is her home park and that it holds significant meaning for her. She is often there with her two sons.

“I still remember pushing my now 5-year-old when he was a baby on the swings that sat right over there and this is the same place where he learned to do a backflip,” Sulpizio-Hull said.

Matsui spoke about her admiration for the park's old and historic oak trees, complimenting West Sacramento’s natural beauty. She said that the West Sacramento community is always so involved and invested in their city. 

“Whenever I come here, the people here, Martha, the City Council, the staff are always ready to work,” Matsui said. “And that is so important here because you are a newer city.”

Matsui said it was an important opportunity for her to participate in securing the $3 million in funding for the park project to build a park that is open for all.

Kevin Ericson and his sister, Jennifer Havson, are the owners of Emile’s Cafe and the grandchildren of Whitey’s Jolly Kone owner Emile “Whitey” Boisclair Park. The cafe is named after their grandfather, Ericson said. 

Excited to be a third-generation small-business owner in West Sacramento, Ericson said he has been anticipating the park’s construction. Ericson said he talks regularly with the neighbors surrounding his business and hears how much Heritage Oaks Park means to the community.

Ericson said Emile’s is bridging the gap between his family’s business across town and the Heritage Oaks neighborhood. He watched how his family ran Whitey’s and how the establishment “grew up” with the community and anticipates building similar relationships at Emile’s Cafe.

“It will evolve over time as far as hosting events, once the park is completed, engaging with the city to make sure the space and the cafe are available to the community,” Ericson said. 

Emile’s is focused more on breakfast and lunch, Ericson said, and customers won't find the traditional burgers and ice cream but rather an entirely different atmosphere and ambiance.

Ericson said he has received a warm welcome from the community, meeting new faces and reconnecting with familiar ones. 

“I’m excited to be partnering with the city and we are excited to support them throughout this process of construction and for many years to come,” Ericson said. “It’s really being stewards and caretakers of the park.”