Anna Jean Cummings Park Explained

Anna Jean Cummings Park
Location:	461 Old San Jose Road, Soquel, California
Nearest City:	Soquel, California
Area:	95acres
Created:	2001
Operator:	Santa Cruz County Parks Department

Anna Jean Cummings Park is a 95acres park located in unincorporated Santa Cruz County, at 461 Old San Jose Road, Soquel, California, that opened in the summer of 2001 on the former O'Neill Ranch.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} Its nickname is "Blue Ball Park" for the art installation of "Skyballs" by Steve Gillman and Katherine Keefer, a series of four sky-blue 8-foot diameter spheres that appear to roll down the coastal prairie terrace.^[5]

The lower bench has a lawn, picnic pavilion, playground, and restrooms. The upper bench has natural turf baseball/softball diamonds and soccer fields, more restrooms, and a walking/jogging path that circumnavigates the playfields.

The rest of the park is rare coastal prairie, grassland, and riparian habitat with a meandering trail network. Rare and endangered species have been observed in the park,^{[6] [7] [8]} according to the February 1995 O'Neill Ranch Master Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report.

The park is named after Anna Jean Cummings, a former executive director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.^[9]

References

• News: Soquel residents skeptical of new soccer fields at Anna Jean Cummings . Genevieve . Bookwalter . Santa Cruz Sentinel . February 17, 2010 . July 14, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101106103459/http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_14415758 . November 6, 2010 . dead .

Notes and References

1. News: Anna Jean Cummings Park . https://web.archive.org/web/20130731215029/http://capitola.patch.com/listings/anna-jean-cummings-park . dead. July 31, 2013 . Capitola-Soquel Patch . July 14, 2014 .
2. Web site: Anna Jean Cummings Park. https://archive.today/20140717162735/http://www.great-kids-parks.com/anna-jean-cummings-park-soquel-ca.html. dead. July 17, 2014. Great-Kids-Parks.com. July 14, 2014.
3. Web site: Anna Jean Cummings Park . https://web.archive.org/web/20080918035329/http://www.scparks.com/annajeancummings.html . dead. 2008-09-18 . Santa Cruz County Parks Department .
4. Web site: Friends of Anna Jean Cummings Park . 2014-01-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141010065031/http://www.friendsofannajeancummingspark.org/ . 2014-10-10 . dead .
5. Web site: Anna Jean Cummings Park . Santa Cruz County Parks Department . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140401151627/http://www.scparks.com/annajeancummings.html . 2014-04-01 .
6. Web site: O’Neill Ranch . https://archive.today/20140717162719/http://scbirdingguide.org/birdingguide/The%20Mid-County%20Coast/Oneill.htm . dead. July 17, 2014 . Santa Cruz Birding Guide . July 15, 2014 .
7. https://www.flickr.com/photos/annajeancummingspark/sets/72157632362604221/ Birds of Anna Jean Cummings Park at Flickr.com
8. https://www.inaturalist.org/places/anna-jean-cummings-park Anna Jean Cummings Park species listing on iNaturalist.org
9. Web site: Co-Founder and current Board President John Gilchrist looks back on 30 years of land protection . https://web.archive.org/web/20120718045614/http://www.landtrustsantacruz.org/newsletters/08_fall/gilchrist_interview.htm . dead. 2012-07-18 . Fall 2008 . Landmarks newsletter . Land Trust of Santa Cruz County . July 15, 2014 .