Fountain Valley celebrates completion of universally accessible playground
The festivities had been underway for some time when Fountain Valley Mayor Glenn Grandis called for a most unusual moment of silence on Friday morning.
As expected, he got collaboration from the grownups, but a gaggle of giggles came from the kids at play adjacent to the ongoing ceremony.
The moment demonstrated the cause for celebration, children of all abilities enjoying themselves throughout the finished universally accessible playground.
“All the kids laughing, the music, the playing, this is what it’s all about,” said an emotional Grandis, who has been outspoken about being a parent of a son with autism.
A couple hundred people visited the playground ahead of and during the ribbon-cutting event, including one surprise visitor for Community Services Director Rob Frizzelle.
Frizzelle had been sharing a personal story about his eldest son, Will, sharing the field with special-needs children when Westminster 11-year-old Mila Lent, the girl from his tale, turned up.
“She got to go up and hit a ball off the tee, and he pushed her to first base,” Frizzelle said. “That doesn’t sound like a lot, but when he realized that she gets the exact same satisfaction [out of] hitting a single as he does in baseball, the light clicked immediately, and he realized, ‘Mila is no different than me.’
“And then he said, ‘Mila, we’re leading off, and we’re stealing second,’ because he loves to steal second, too.”
Mila is bound to a wheelchair with a rare neurological condition called hemimegalencephaly, her mother Marcela said. Frizzelle called her “the star of the show” upon realizing the happy coincidence, and those in attendance applauded.
City officials had hoped the playground would be completed in spring, but a series of atmospheric rivers earlier in the year resulted in the delay. The project was expected to cost a total of $1.72 million when plans for the playground were approved by the City Council in January 2023.
The play area has a combination of nature- and sports-themed equipment. The slide area, which is equipped with transfer decks, appears as a waterfall that leads into a river on the surface.
There are also opportunities for parallel play at the swing-set and zipline areas, with accessible seating available at each.
A quiet grove provides an opportunity for the over-stimulated to gather themselves rather than having to leave the park, Frizzelle added.
John Borack, chairman of the city’s advisory committee for persons with disabilities, referred to the playground as a symbol of “inclusion” and “acceptance.”
The event featured additional fun for the youngsters, including balloon artists and face painting.
“I cannot imagine a better backdrop for today than looking behind me and seeing the some hundred kids and families all enjoying this space,” said Matt Taylor, the president of the Fountain Valley Community Foundation. “When you hear the laughter, when you even hear the little toddlers crying … I know it’s working because people are out here having a great time. They’re out here experiencing their families, and they’re creating memories that will last a lifetime.”
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