Portal:California/Selected article/3
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Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park is a recreational city park, located in Foster City, California and run by the city government and local citizens. Originally called simply "Central Park", the park was named in honor and memory of Congressman Leo J. Ryan, the first and only United States Congressman to die in the line of duty. Congressman Ryan was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1983. The park is situated on 20 acres (8 ha) which overlook a lake and houses the William E. Walker Recreation Center, and includes a waterfront, outdoor amphitheatre, sailboat tie-up facilities, boardwalk, lawn areas, and a gazebo on the lake. There is a pathway that goes around the perimeter of the park, which also has ADA access.
In 2003, on the 25th anniversary of his death, a special memorial tribute was held in Congressman Ryan's honor in Foster City, California. Ryan's family and friends including California State Senator Jackie Speier and Ryan's daughters were in attendance. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that "Over and over today, people described a great man who continually exceeded his constituents' expectations."
