The park named for America’s first Filipino American Mayor could welcome the community back after an extensive overhaul as early as this weekend.

According to current Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal, Sangalang Park – named after former Lathrop Mayor Apolinar Sangalang, the country’s first mayor born in the Philippines – could be operational after an extended closure as soon as Friday if city crews are able to get all of the new pieces that came in installed.

Sangalang, a United States Navy Veteran, served during World War II and was captured by the Japanese and held as a Prisoner of War. His service to the country will be honored in a monument that will describe his military service while at the same time honoring his service to America and to the city that he once led.

The park will feature the addition of tennis courts – the first time a public park on the east side of I-5 has included them – and brand new playground equipment to replace the aging structure that was installed when the park was added to the city.

The addition of the tennis courts will be the first time that residents on the east side of I-5 will have the popular amenity at one of their neighborhood parks, and the playground revitalization will replace the original equipment was installed when the park was initially dedicated.

And Lathrop is making sure that its parks are taken care of to ensure that residents have the finest opportunities for recreation around.

While the work at Sangalang Park is wrapping up, residents are now able to enjoy the skid-resistant paint at the splash pads at both Valverde and Mossdale Parks – sites that are popular with families for the water feature during the sweltering summer months.

The skid-resistant paint will add an additional layer of safety to the feature the same way that the installation of rubberized play surfaces at heavily-used parks – something that the Lathrop City Council has also prioritized – cuts down on the likelihood of injury.

Last year the City of Lathrop applied for grant funding from the State of California to help offset the $1.84 million overhaul to the park – which will provide state-of-the-art recreational amenities to residents living on the east side of I-5. The cost of the construction was funded from Measure C – the one-cent sales tax that was approved overwhelmingly by voters to bolster essential city services and provide amenities to residents – and the grant funding would simply replace that initial expenditure.

The investment reinforces the city’s dedication to serve all residents of the community, and those residents got additional reassurances that they won’t be forgotten earlier this summer when the Lathrop Manteca Fire District finally completed a massive renovation of Station 31 on J Street – which for years housed the district’s administrative offices before they were relocated to River Islands.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.