Riverside resident Cristina Escobar decided to move into the Arlanza neighborhood 12 years ago after falling in love with the idea of living in a house next to a long, grass-filled neighborhood park.
Now, the mother of two said she’s even happier with her decision after attending the city’s event unveiling the estimated $3 million renovation to the once-empty space.
“Overnight, we started to see machines and people working, and it was really fast and it turned out really beautiful,” Escobar said in Spanish. “I feel that the city is investing in us, the people who live in Riverside.”
Escobar was just one of hundreds of residents, including a mix of first responders, public officials and dozens of energy-filled children, who gathered November 7 for the grand opening of Tim Strack Park, named after the late Riverside Fire Department captain who died in 2023.
Months after his death, the Riverside City Council unanimously voted to rename El Dorado Park — an 8.5 acre park near Challen Park, tucked between rows of single-family homes in Ward 6 — in Strack’s honor. The city broke ground on the project last November, on what would have been Strack’s 55th birthday.
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Councilmember Jim Perry hosted the event, in which he and other speakers honored Strack’s legacy as a leader within the community.
During the ceremony, the city’s fire department flew a large American flag, held up by a ladder truck over 100 feet in the air and handed out cookies with Strack’s face and colorful socks — a nod to his fashion-sense.
Strack’s widow, Wendy, said the family was honored by the city’s recognition of his service, stating that it felt like a gift from the community as the ceremony was held days before what would have been his 56th birthday.
“We’ve had to learn to hold our grief and hold our missing of him alongside the joy of life that we still get to experience,” Wendy told The Riverside Record. “So today, we get to hold both of those together again, and remember Tim and then just celebrate with these little squeals of happiness.”
Councilmember Jim Perry speaks to a crowd of local officials, first responders and dozens of children on the legacy about the late Riverside Fire Department Captain Tim Strack on November 7. (Daniel Eduardo Hernandez/The Riverside Record) 
Councilmember Jim Perry, from left, Wendy Strack and State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes pose for a photo at Tim Strack park on November 7. (Daniel Eduardo Hernandez/The Riverside Record) 
Riverside Fire Chief Steve McKinster speaks to a crowd about the legacy of Tim Strack on November 7. (Daniel Eduardo Hernandez/The Riverside Record) 
Fifth graders from Foothill Elementary School walk through a firefighter-themed playground at Tim Strack park on November 7. (Daniel Eduardo Hernandez/The Riverside Record) 
Fifth graders from Foothill Elementary School play on a firefighter-themed playground at Tim Strack park on November 7. (Daniel Eduardo Hernandez/The Riverside Record)
She added that she and her family plan to visit the park often, seeing it as a space where they can quietly reflect in the coming years.
Fifth-grade students from nearby Foothill Elementary School, along with other children from the neighborhood, waited patiently during the ceremony before running onto the newly opened playground for the first time, beelining for the slides and swings.
Perry highlighted the park’s new features, which included two firefighter-themed playgrounds, a fitness equipment area and a monument honoring Strack.
“This is what neighborhoods and communities are all about,” Perry told The Record. “With this fire-themed playground we have, perhaps it’ll motivate some of our youngsters to grow up and want to become firefighters or at the very least become active in our community.”
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