Groundbreaking held for Artesia Rec Center

By:  Dave Shabaz, Publisher
 

     Tuesday was a special day, not only for the Artesia community but also for the local youth. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Artesia Recreation Center, which should be completed in 15 months.

 

     Sandra Borges welcomed the crowd to what became more of a ground-blowing than a groundbreaking. The wind was blowing hard, but the swirling dust couldn’t dampen the high spirits of those who attended. Borges is president of the Artesia Recreation Center Foundation and executive director of the PY Foundation.

 

     Borges reminded everyone that it has been a year and a half since community meetings were held to discuss plans for the project.

 

“The kids at the current rec center had a long wish list,” she said – a list that included a Chick-fil-A, a Sea World and the hope they could get soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to come to Artesia.

 

“But what they really wanted,” she said, “was a place they could really enjoy, with basketball courts, a rec center with windows and somewhere to hang out with friends, which they are going to get.”

 

    Donors for the Rec Center project are: PY Foundation, Chase Foundation, TLC Foundation, Frank Yates Jr. Family Foundation, Western Bank, Royal Services, First American Bank, and Devon Energy.

 

“One exciting part of this project is our partnership with healthcare organizations like Artesia General Hospital, UMC Medical Center in Lubbock and the Burrell School of Osteopathic Medicine, which enables us to go beyond recreation and into wellness,” Borges said. “These partnerships will allow us to offer preventive health workshops, free screenings, and educational resources to empower our community to lead healthier lives.”

 

     Speakers at the event included Mayor Jon Henry, Hayley Klein of the Artesia Chamber of Commerce, Huitt-Zollars architect Jose Zelaya, Shad James and Peyton Yates.

 

Yates began by welcoming the 3rd grade students who attended the event. They came from the Yeso, Yucca, Hermosa, Central and Roselawn Elementary schools.

 

“We appreciate you and I want you to not forget this day because it is very special to have you all here,” he said. He finished by welcoming Republican U.S. Senate candidate Nella Domenici, who attended the event with her husband Pat.

 

“Nella’s dad Pete served as a U.S. senator for 36 years, making him the longest tenured U.S. senator in New Mexico’s history,” Yates said.

 

     Look for a March 2026 completion of the Artesia Recreation Center.