MOJAVE — A dream that began when an East Kern Airport District employee wanted to create a small park where Mojave Airport/Spaceport employees could eat lunch turned into one more dream fulfilled at “the place where dreams come true” last Friday morning.

With a crowd that included people from Boron, California City, Lancaster, Mojave, Rosamond, Ridgecrest, Tehachapi, and Bakersfield, a bright red ribbon was cut officially opening Legacy Park.

The completed park, whose signature icon, the Rotary Rocket Roton, beckons visitors from all over Mojave, was a four-year “labor of love” signifying the create volunteer spirit that’s another Mojave Airport trademark, said EKAD General Manager Stu Witt.

“Everything we do here is a work of passion,” Witt said as he introduced members of the EKAD team and others who contributed to the park’s completion.

Drawing on his family’s four-generation love of baseball, Witt likened each member of the EKAD maintenance crew as members of a ball team that worked together creatively to turn a dusty corner at the entrance to the airport/spaceport administration building and Voyager Restaurant into Kern County and the Antelope Valley’s newest park.

Introducing Ev Venegas, Witt said “everyone one of those rocks so carefully placed in this park was touched by Ev’s hands.” The horseshoe pit was suggested — and built by Chuck Harrington, “who said a park needs one!” Witt said.

Mike Edmonds, the district’s electrician, “plays utility — he does anything we need!” Jose Carrillo, Gerardo Perez, and Javier Ruiz played their positions skillfully to make the park come alive, Witt said.

Mel Langford did the impossible by moving the Roton several blocks “and over the fence” using a crane that normally erects wind turbines on nearby hills, Witt said, noting that he told the young man operating the crane that, “If something goes wrong, no one will ever remember your name but they’ll never forget mine!”

Witt characterized Langford as someone who, when asked if he can do the impossible, replies “Sure!” Bob Rice, the district’s airport operations manager was also saluted along with the office staff, all of whom Witt flipped burgers and hot dogs for after the event.

Roton symbolic

Shifting his gaze to the Roton, Witt said that, “while some people here see it as a symbol of failure because it only flew three times,” it brought to Mojave many of the people made it possible for the airport to become the nation’s first commercial spaceport, including the people who started XCOR Aerospace and Rotary founders Gary and Anne Hudson who are back here working on another space project.

Noting that the original concept for a park at the airport included a baseball field, “We ended up with this!” (The baseball idea is still being pursued)

Tourism kiosk

Discussing the county’s second interactive tourism kiosk which is installed at the park, Kern County Supervisor Don Maben said that when he first suggested one for Mojave, “I figured we’d put it downtown by the caboose or someplace — I never dreamed you’d build a whole new park!”

Rick Davis, who heads the Kern County Board of Trade, which manages the kiosk program, said the unit allows visitors to obtain information of motels, hotels, restaurants, places to visit, events, and just about anything about everyplace in Kern County by simply touching a thick glass screen.

“Our biggest challenge was conquering the Mojave environment” to protect the kiosk’s computer from the desert sun, Davis said.

Following the dedication, new signs on Business Route 58 were unveiled that direct visitors into the park. Davis said similar signs will be erected on the new 58 freeway.

Dick Rutan, who with Jeana Yeager, his brother Burt, and another band of Mojave volunteers designed, built, and flew a strange-looking twin-boom aircraft with a coffin-sized cabin called Voyager around the world without refueling, said the park will honor the people whose dreams have expanded the aerospace envelope — and who have given their lives in that quest.

“Without risk and daring there would be no advancement — some must make the sacrifice,” said Rutan, who, with his fellow EKAD board members, approved the process that led to creating the new park.

SpaceShipOne

Parked next to the towering Roton — which has a security camera perched on top helping district staff watch the airport around the clock— is a replica of SpaceShipOne, the tiny Scaled Composites rocketship that launched two brand-new astronauts into space and won the $10 million Ansari X-Prize in 2004. Witt said the replica, one of three built at Mojave by an X-Prize Foundation team, is on permanent loan from the foundation.

A building to house the rocket will be built soon from contributions from spaceport businesses and others, including the Mojave Transportation Museum foundation.

Witt said the park also includes a garden in which watermelons and pumpkins grow, to help area youngsters understand where food comes from. Following the dedication, Witt and Langford met with Jill Egland, director of special projects for the Arts Council of Kern, to discuss other efforts to involve and educate people of all ages at the park. One of those projects is installation of a small ore car that once hauled gold and silver ore on nearby Soledad Mountain, donated by the Golden Queen Mining Company.

Another will be installation of seven-inch gauge railroad track around the park to allow live-steam railroad enthusiasts to run their passenger-carrying trains.

The park has already been used for a wedding and has a concrete stage usable for public events. Call 661.824.2433 for information on using Legacy Park.

RIBBON CUTTING at the new Legacy Park at the Mojave Airport/Spaceport officially opened East Kern’s newest oasis last Friday. From left, Kern County Supervisor Don Maben, EKAD Board member Marie Walker, John Davies of Continuous Quality Electric, EKAD Board President Jim Balentine, Kern Board of Trade Executive Director Rick Davis, Mel Langford and Bob Rice of EKAD, Dick Rutan, Ken Doyle of Protoflight, and EKAD General Manager Stu Witt. BILL DEAVER/Desert News

TRIBUTE — East Kern Airport District employees who played key roles in making Legacy park a reality were saluted by EKAD General Manager Stu Witt. From left: Mike Edmonds, Gerardo Perez, Ev Venagas, Chuck Harrington, Jose Carrillo, and Witt. BILL DEAVER/Desert News

SUPPORTERS who contributed to building Legacy Park are memorialized on a new plaque installed at the park. BILL DEAVER/Desert News

SIGN directing travelers to Legacy Park at the Mojave Airport / Spaceport were unveiled by, from left, EKAD General Manager Stu Witt, Supervisor Don Maben, Pat Ebel of the Kern County Roads Dept., and Kern County Board of Trade Executive Director Rick Davis. Similar signs will be erected on the 58 Freeway. BILL DEAVER/Desert News

INVOLVING KIDS — Stu Witt and Mel Langford of EKAD discussed projects to involve kids at the new Legacy Park with Jill Egland of the Arts Council of Kern. BILL DEAVER/Desert News