SAN DIEGO, CA (KGTV) — Last year's historic rains did major damage to the Lemon Grove Little League fields.
"When the rains came the field was all swamped," says league treasurer Yajaira Precieado.
I met Preciado last February and she gave me a first hand look at the mudslides and sinkholes on the fields, as well as the parking lot.
"So we have a sinkhole here, and a sinkhole there. We have a sinkhole right over here, and so we have two fields that we have to close."
All that damage disrupted Lemon Grove Little League's 2024 season. The 2025 season is right around the corner, so I followed through on my coverage to see what the field conditions look like twelve months later. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was pleasantly surprised.
"I hope that this is something that we can come back from," Preciado told me.
Boy have they come back. You can call this project a total home run and a great community
effort.
"What is the city going to do, what are we going to do, and how are we going to handle this? So we collaborated and they were able to get us to where we are now and the community really rallied around us," says Preciado.
A couple of sinkholes, the mudslide area, and the storm drain drain had to be repaired, and it wasn't cheap. Preciado says the city spent close to $700 million on all the fixes.
"We also got a grant from the office of supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe for $50 thousand so that covered some of it. Our league out of pocket spent another fifty grand."
The league started assessments for the upcoming season last week as they get ready for opening day on February 8th. Now the kids have a field with brand new grass and dirt. You might call it their field of dreams.
"They are absolutely ecstatic," says Preciado. They can't wait to get out here and play. Just seeing their faces with all the work we put in was absolutely worth it."
