Luis A. Wito Morales Park
Encyclopedia
The Luis A. Wito Morales Park is a passive park in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico
. Luis A. Wito Morales Park is part of the Lake Cerrillos Dam recreational area.
, immediately south of the Cerrillos Dam, in Barrio Maraguez
. It can be reached via Puerto Rico Highway 139
.
It is surrounded by mountains, abundant in vegetation, and it is at the center of the Cerrillos State Forest Reserve, which is located 4 miles northeast of the city of Ponce.
, mayor of Ponce from 1972 to 1976 and former Puerto Rico senator. Wito Morales was also president of the Ponce Municipal Assembly from 1989 to 2005. Prior to his years in politics, Wito Morales was as sportscaster for the Ponce Lions professional baseball team. He had himself also played with the Lions from 1947 to 1953, and is recognized at the Tricentennial Park
as well as at Ponce’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Francisco Pancho Coimbre Museum.
, an aquatic play yard, a children’s playground
, and 20 large gazebos, most of them equipped with BBQ pits.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. Luis A. Wito Morales Park is part of the Lake Cerrillos Dam recreational area.
Location
The park is located at the southern end of Lake CerrillosLake Cerrillos
Lake Cerrillos is a man-made lake located in barrio Maraguez, Ponce, Puerto Rico. The lake was finished in 1992 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The main purposes of the reservoir are flood control, water supply, and recreation. There is a variety of fish available for fishing such as...
, immediately south of the Cerrillos Dam, in Barrio Maraguez
Maragüez
Maragüez is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Magueyes, Tibes, Portugués, Monte Llano, Machuelo Arriba, Sabanetas, and Cerrillos, Maragüez is one of the municipality's eight rural interior barrios...
. It can be reached via Puerto Rico Highway 139
Puerto Rico Highway 139
Puerto Rico Highway 139 is secondary highway in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The road runs north to south, and mostly alongside Rio Cerrillos in barrio Maraguez, borders the edge of Lake Cerrillos, and then runs through barrio Cerrillos and from there into the city of Ponce....
.
It is surrounded by mountains, abundant in vegetation, and it is at the center of the Cerrillos State Forest Reserve, which is located 4 miles northeast of the city of Ponce.
Name
The park was so named after an Act of the Legislature of Puerto Rico on 12 December 2006, (No. 262, §§ 1, 2.) It was named in honor of "Wito" MoralesLuis A. Morales
Luis Antonio Morales Crespo was a Puerto Rican politician and Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1976. He was also Senator for the District of Ponce from 1977 to 1980 and president of the Ponce Municipal Assembly from 1989 to 2004 He is recognized as a politician, sportsman, and sports...
, mayor of Ponce from 1972 to 1976 and former Puerto Rico senator. Wito Morales was also president of the Ponce Municipal Assembly from 1989 to 2005. Prior to his years in politics, Wito Morales was as sportscaster for the Ponce Lions professional baseball team. He had himself also played with the Lions from 1947 to 1953, and is recognized at the Tricentennial Park
Tricentennial Park
Parque del Tricentenario is a passive urban park in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The park was built to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city. It was inaugurated during the mayoral administration of mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago....
as well as at Ponce’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Francisco Pancho Coimbre Museum.
History
The park was inaugurated in 2006. It was built as part of the plans for the creation of the Cerrillos Dam. The Wito Morales Park, togther with the forest area in the vicinity of the Cerrillos Dam occupies an area of some 200 cuerdas of land set aside for recreational purposes under an Executive Order.Amenities
This park includes basketball, “beach” volleyball and baseball facilities, a fresh water pondPond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
, an aquatic play yard, a children’s playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
, and 20 large gazebos, most of them equipped with BBQ pits.