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Park
Focuses on California's History
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Sloan
Johnson Oso de Oro Lake Park's theme focuses on California's natural and
cultural history and includes the following features:
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Permanent
lake and aquatic habitat, with observation docks
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Live stream
and gold panning
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Special
small tot and children's play areas
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Arts and
crafts and picnic pavilions
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Frontier
area with fort, tunnel, and Spanish ruins
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Mining
town with ore cart and antique boat
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Interpretive
maze for the sighted and unsighted
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Unique
off-street parking for wheelchair transport vehicles
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Original
sculpture and mural art
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Entry
plaza and restroom facilities
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Swings
play area and slick court basketball
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Elevated
therapy and exercise platform
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Mobility
training platform for the unsighted
Below
: Margaret Mele; Junior Ambassador, Central Valley Muscular Dystrophy Association
discusses with media the importance of the park to the children of Fresno
Right
: Frank Franco, Doug Harrison and Sloan Johnson of the Fresno Metropolitan
Fllod Control District and members of the All-America City Team including
David Reinhardt spot-light Oso de Oro Park, it's history and what it means
to the community. |
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THE DREAM SUCCEEDS ...
While many new parks were
being made 'accessible,' none were found to be wholly 'usable' by these
special kids. A design team of local experts in adaptive recreation and
physical therapy was formed, neighborhood meetings were held, and a fund
drive to cover the extra cost of such a project was begun. To date, in
excess of $340,000 has been raised through gifts and grants to cover the
extra cost of the specialized equipment and facilities. The park is dedicated
in honor of Sloan Johnson and the many other creative and dedicated people
who made it possible. Already the park is one of the most popular in the
entire area, drawing families, the physical rehabilitation programs from
Valley Children's Hospital, and the schools on a daily basis.
Doug Harris, General Manager,
Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District |
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