Help Save Friendship Park!

Save Friendship Park as a Real Ballfield

Friendship Park was built as a Little League ballfield and community hub. Today, it is being used for unrelated events while the field itself falls into neglect. We are asking the School Board to act before another season is lost.

Why Friendship Park Matters

Friendship Park is not just another patch of grass. It was built by community volunteers as a dedicated Little League ballfield and gathering place for Mendocino families. Generations of kids have learned teamwork, confidence, and resilience on that field. Many of the people working to save it today grew up playing there and now want their own children to experience the same sense of community.

What Is Going Wrong

Under the current arrangement, Friendship Park is being treated as a general event space instead of a purpose-built ballfield. The field has been used heavily for revenue-generating activities that have nothing to do with youth baseball, while basic field maintenance has been neglected. The result is a park that is no longer in safe, game-ready condition for Little League.

In property terms, this is waste: using a specialized facility for off-purpose activities while allowing its intended use to fall into disrepair. In community terms, it feels like we are letting a piece of local history die on our watch.

What We Are Asking the School Board To Do

The School Board holds the master lease and has the power to fix this. We are asking the Board to:

Place Friendship Park on a public agenda for full discussion.

Enforce or amend the lease so the park is restored and maintained as a ballfield.

Establish a structure that allows the Friendship Park Legacy Foundation to take the lead on field maintenance and baseball use, with clear boundaries so everyone knows their role.

How You Can Help

The most powerful thing you can do is put your experience and opinion on the record. Use the form below to share your connection to Friendship Park, choose a testimony template, and get simple instructions for emailing the School Board and, if you wish, speaking at a meeting.