Well over 70 people — a group made up of local leaders, members of the media and neighborhood residents alike — braved the projected triple-digit forecast Monday morning to get a glimpse of American icon Dolores Huerta at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new city park named after her.
Cameras and phones swarmed around the 95-year-old Huerta as she slowly walked toward the podium. When she finally spoke at Monday morning’s ceremony, she revealed she was unfazed by the heat that day.
Rather than bask in the fame her hard work as an activist has afforded her, which included co-founding the United Farmworkers labor union, Huerta challenged the crowd to continue weathering the heat — much like many of the state’s agricultural workers do everyday.
“I know it’s really hot out there, but we know that today there are farmworkers out there, right now, that are working out there to feed the nation,” Huerta said. “So I think we could take the heat for a little while, right?”
Dolores Huerta Park will be in west central Fresno, at Dakota and Milburn Avenues.
The park has been years in the making. Among the local leaders in attendance were California Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, Mayor Jerry Dyer and City Councilmember Annalisa Perea.
Dyer opened the ceremony by listing off the generous amount of amenities that will be housed in the new, nearly 200,000 square foot park — jogging tracks, two play areas, a skate park, splash pads and a pool, exercise equipment, futsal and pickleball courts, shaded picnic areas, and a dog park.
He added that the city will also be improving much of the surrounding area through sidewalk and lighting repairs, and on-site parking at the park with chargers for electric vehicles.
The park’s construction represents an investment of $12 million by the city: $8.5 million from the state’s Proposition 68 funding and $3.5 million from park impact fees.
“It’s an investment in this neighborhood, it’s an investment in our city, and it is an investment in our youth, who we hope to be transformed on this particular property,” Dyer said.
Soria introduced the resolution to name the park after Huerta in 2022, back when she was still a city councilmember. Remembering moments like when she held community meetings in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic through drive-throughs, Soria said that the bountiful amenities are a direct result of community input.
Soria also noted that Dolores Huerta Park will be the first park in the city to be named after a Latina.
“Naming this park after Dolores Huerta is deeply symbolic, especially today in times when our most basic civil rights and liberties are under attack,” Soria said. “Dolores reminds us that when ordinary people come together, they organize, they refuse to give up, (and) extraordinary change is possible”
Councilmmeber Perea, who represents west central Fresno, drew attention to the generous funding to this part of the city.
“Historically, the tale of two cities was always north versus south of Shaw Avenue,” Perea said. “But as I was knocking on doors west of the 99, folks would tell me that the new tale of two cities is east versus west of Highway 99 and historically, if you lived west of the 99 you have felt forgotten.”
She said that this park ceremony, coupled with the investment of millions of dollars, helps signal to residents that they are “no longer forgotten.”
Huerta closed the ceremony on Monday, with inspiration for the crowd and some news. She said that the Dolores Huerta Foundation would be opening an office in Fresno, though no specifics were given.
She also focused her comments largely on the people who came out to watch her. She added on to Perea and Soria’s comments — which focused on the community work done to help make the park a reality — by reminding the audiences that the park only exists because of the community joining together to let their elected leaders know they wanted it.
In that same vein, Huerta said she hoped community members can continue to work together to overcome issues plaguing the country.
Dyer said the first phase of the park should be completed in about a year.
Huerta ended the ceremony by inviting the guests to join her in a motivating rallying cry.
“Who’s got the power?” Huerta said.
“We’ve got the power,” the crowd cheered.
“What kind of power?” Huerta said.
“People power,” said the crowd, as applause and more cheers broke out.
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