A legacy honored

It?s easy to imagine how 80 acres of orchards and vines once adorned the rolling hills where homes now nestle among a few remaining fruit trees above the new Sasaki Park in Rocklin.As about 75 family members, city officials, friends and neighborhood residents gathered on the corner of Southside Ranch Road and Freeman Drive for the Park?s dedication and to reveal a plaque on Saturday, they recalled the legacy of what once was known as North Star Ranch.?This property certainly looks different,? said Clara Sasaki Hattori of Seattle. ?Our house is gone. But this park is quite an honor and the plaque is very well done.?Kokichi and Asa Sasaki moved their family to Rocklin in 1916 where they planted a small orchard and some fruit vines on leased land. They bought the property in 1925 and their four children Clara, Mildred, Joseph and Ernest helped them develop North Star.An executive order to house residents of Japanese descent in internment camps moved the Sasaki family to a facility at Tule Lake in 1942. Joseph ?Jay? Sasaki joined the United States Army after he was free to leave the camp. ?I was about 18 then,? Hattori said. ?Jay was about 21. Neither of us was married yet.?Son Ernie married Lila and they raised four children in Rocklin. She still lives in the house her husband built near the Ranch 45 years ago.Jay Sasaki married May Tomita of Loomis. They raised their children JoAnn, Steve, Annette and Tamara in Rocklin. He operated the orchard until his death in 1998. His widow moved to Springfield at Whitney Oaks. She attributed the idea and building of the park to Todd Lowell of Lowell and Associates. ?Todd is a very nice man. He thought it would be a good idea,? she said. ?My mother always told me ?what your neighbor is doing is none of your business,? but living at Springfield I have so many people close by it?s hard not to know. I miss the Ranch, but this park is very nice and every time I come by here there I see children playing.?During the dedication Rocklin Mayor Brett Storey introduced Mark Reimer, director of community services and facilities and Jack Haycock, vice-chair of Rocklin?s Recreation Commission.?We want to remember the contributions the Sasaki family made to the community,? Haycock said.The city of Rocklin acquired the Sasaki land grant deed in 2001. The city built the park and naming the park stands ?as a testament to the rich Sasaki family history,? Hittori said. The two-acre park consists of a basketball half-court, playground, open turf field and a small covered picnic area. JoAnn Sasaki Takemoto lives in Newcastle and was the last family member to move from the old homestead, since replaced by new development.?I hate to see the ranch gone and the quality of fruit gone,? Takemoto said. ?Grandpa grew plums, peaches, Asian pears, Mandarin oranges and they used to get shipped out of the fruit sheds in Loomis. I guess that?s the way it is. Anyway it was good to see so many family members here.?Among them was her daughter Kristin Takemoto.?It?s like a mini family reunion,? she said. ?It makes me feel proud to know it (the park) will always have our name on it. It?s weird to not have the ranch though, but maybe one day I will be able to bring my kids here. At least the fruit trees are still up there.? ?Brenda Meadows can be reached at brendam@goldcountrymedia.com.