At long last, Empowerment Park is fially open! Some 9 years in the making, the new park got a Prop68 grant, then Covid and supply chain problems happened. Costs skyrocketed. Significant extra funds had to be raised. But, oh boy, it was worth the wait! The park was mobbed at the ribbon-cutting event today. The kids had a blast and their parents were happy.

The new park has an "all-access" design, meaning anyone - kids and adults, with or without disabilities can enjoy it. There are fun, yet safe, features like swings, teeter-totters and a traditional merry-go-round. There are two towers that can be accessed by climbing or via ADA-correct ramps. There are features - like roller slides and a xylophone -  that provide sensory feedback. For maintenance there are security cameras and a bathroom that cleans itself after 30 uses (flushes). This kind of park is innovative compared to traditional parks. Parents of special needs kids pushed hard for the project. But the play features are expensive, such that they are not practical for every park and every neighborhood. Then four different local recreation and park districts (Arcade Creek, Arden Manor, Fulton-El Camino and Mission Oaks) came together as the Sacramento Parks Foundation and applied for and won the Prop68 grant from the state to make all-access play available to the broader NE Sacramento County area.  SMUD provided the site and grant funds. Supervisor Rich Desmond obtained funds for it, too. Volunteers from the Sacramento Suburban Kiwanis Club and the Arden Arcade Rotary pitched in as well.

The park is located on Bell Street between Hurley and Northrup. Since the site is in the territory of the Mission Oaks Rec & Park District, Mission Oaks is responsible for operations and maintenance. But it is also part of the park systems of the other three rec & park districts. Partnerships among the government entities and the generous help and funding from non-profit organizations, businesses and residents, all clearly demonstrated that cooperation builds community. The hard work and perseverance of everyone who contributed to the park becoming reality was remarkable. Special thanks are due to Mike Grace - former GM at Fulton-El Camino Rec & Park District who retired and found a seat on the Arden Manor board and has since retired -  who led the effort from start to finish, Debby Walker - former GM of the Mission Oaks Rec & Park District - who recognized that the park could meet all-access needs while also replacing a District playground destroyed by the remodeling of Greer School, and Sarah Medal and Kari Sternberg, leaders among the parents of special needs children who championed the project from the get-go. The result is an extraordinary new amenity for the community, one everyone can be proud of.