Several members of the city council noted the youngsters' impatience.

"My wife came by as they were taking the fences down and saw the kids lined up with their skateboards and swimsuits," said Councilman Fred Fowler, whose face was painted with the letters L and W. He mentioned his roots, recalling his political start as a president of the neighborhood association—and Lakewood Lake, the park's former folly that no longer exists after the recent facelift.

The $650,000 renovation, funded by the passage of the Bond Act for Safe Neighborhood Parks in 2000, began in March. Newly installed are a mini skate park, a sand volleyball court and a water park with a space theme, which allows children—and like-minded adults—the opportunity to play among water jets and fountains. A gazebo was also put into the park, and existing facilities and walkways were brought up to date.

In his remarks, Vice Mayor Dean Chu said that funds for the renovation almost fell victim to budget cuts two years ago. "But now the rest of Sunnyvale will be coming over to Lakewood Park," he said.

Providing another local touch was the Lakewood Elementary School color guard—six fifth-grade girls who learned to march under the tutelage of Paul Schaefer, who lives across the street from the park and volunteers with the Kids Learning After School program at Lakewood School. His daughters attended the school in the late 1970s.

Schaefer served in the Air Force in 1962 but was never part of a color guard. In 2001, he taught himself and his first squad of two boys and two girls how to march, through a drill manual. Since then, the group has grown—and only girls have joined—and through the assistance of the Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale, has begun using harnesses for its flags.

The group's presentation of the flags at the start of the ceremony was very official, with Schaefer calling out commands. But he said it's still early in the school year. "The Air Force Academy has sent us music," he said, "but we're not ready to march to that yet."