Merced is ready to break ground on park named for Hmong leader
After more than five years of planning, Merced is ready to break ground on its newest park.
The city Parks and Recreation Department announced Tuesday that a groundbreaking ceremony for General Vang Pao Park will be held Saturday at 10 a.m.
The park site is near the intersection of West Cardella Road and Freemark Avenue in north Merced. It is named after Gen. Vang Pao, the legendary local hero of the “Secret War” in Southeast Asia.
It will feature a monument to the Hmong leader, as well as an ADA-accessible playground named after late Merced resident and community advocate Aletha June Schelby Nel.
The Merced City Council announced the naming of the park in February 2021. Last November, Merced announced it received a California Arts and Parks grant of $77,000 to help pay for Phase 1 of the project.
Phase 2 calls for the addition of a walking trail and trailhead overlooking Fahrens Creek, plus a natural water filtration area with native vegetation and a turf field, according to previous Merced Sun-Star reporting.
According to the Parks and Recreation Department, Phase 1 construction will continue through the end of September or early October.
Here are some of the features planned, according to a parks and recreation Facebook post:
- Merced’s first on-grade hill slide
- A shade-covered playground
- Swings, climbing logs and rope climbers
- Pour-in-place rubber surfacing — designed to create a more inclusive and accessible play experience for all
“This project represents the first phase of an 8-acre park, and we look forward to the community’s continued support as we work to bring the full vision to life,” the parks and recreation post said.
More about Gen. Vang Pao
Vang, according to previous Sun-Star reporting, is revered by people in the Hmong, Laotian and Mien communities in Merced and worldwide. He led his people to the United States after the Vietnam War.
Since the war’s end, thousands of Hmong were granted refugee status in the United States. Many settled in Valley cities like Sacramento, Fresno and Merced.
To help his people adjust, Vang established a chain of Lao Family Community centers that offered English and citizenship classes and provided Hmong social workers. He died in January of 2011 from heart failure.
More about Aletha June Schelby Nel
Nel, who grew up in Merced, was a disabled resident who worked relentlessly to better the lives of communities both locally and abroad, according to previous Sun-Star reporting. She advocated for individuals with disabilities, supported the impoverished and was noted for her bright energy.
She spent a year in India with a nonprofit where she aided women in becoming financially stable. Nel intended to eventually return to Merced to begin a similar program in her hometown, but she died in October 2015 due to complications from childbirth.
