San Fernando’s Birthday Party Is a Joyful, 75-Candle Blowout

San Fernando’s 75th birthday party gave several thousand city residents a chance to ride an elephant, dunk local politicians and hear live music in a sunny, open-air celebration Sunday at Recreation Park.

But besides offering a chance to enjoy the carnival booths and see old friends, the city’s party encouraged residents to “take stock of ourselves, to learn from our cultural heritage and prepare for the future,” Mayor Jess Margarito said.

One of the most obvious changes in this 2.4-square-mile, predominantly Latino city, which was incorporated 75 years ago Sunday, is the recent election of San Fernando’s first Latino majority on the City Council, said Margarito, 39.

And for lifelong resident Gilbert Gomez, 45, the changes are much closer to home.

“My daughter is a cheerleader at San Fernando High School,” Gomez said. “When I was coming up in the ‘50s and ‘60s, that would have not been possible. But now the Latins are not shy or second-best, they are standing up for themselves.”

The city’s longtime cultural diversity has emerged as a strong anchor for the future growth of San Fernando, newly elected Councilman Ray Silva said. “Today is a reflection of the city’s family orientation; we are not just for one sector, but we are working for the whole community,” he said.

Roberta Leos, who has lived in the city for 34 years and raised six children there, said the community has grown close through its enthusiasm for youth sports and local service organizations. “When you have your kids in Little League and high school sports, pretty soon you know a lot of people,” she said.

San Fernando was founded in 1874 by State Sen. Charles Maclay.

Early settler Robert Maclay Widney described his first glimpse of the town’s site in 1868 as a “great, wide, empty valley--no buildings but the Mission and no sign of life except a few cattle grazing,” according to “San Fernando Retrospective: The First Fifty Years,” by former Mayor Derward P. Loomis, which was published last year.

Now, the city looks ahead to developing new business opportunities, improving parks and upgrading available housing, said Don Penman, the city administrator.

But for Lisa Hernandez, 7, the most pressing city business was the cutting of a 15-foot-long birthday cake--the ritual was eventually performed by Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.). The delay, the young city resident explained, was because “they have to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ first.”