U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said Monday she’s not a very good pickleball player, but she’s looking forward to her first match on a new court at the Peña Blanca Multi-Generational Community Center.
Leger Fernández was at the center to present local officials with an oversized check for $1 million, symbolizing a congressional appropriation in that amount for the venue’s renovation and expansion.
Sandoval County Commissioner Joshua Jones said the project is one that locals have been looking to complete for a long time and that Leger Fernández always remembers the rural and unincorporated areas within her district.
“I always really get excited when I see the congresswoman’s number pop up on my phone,” Jones said. “Because I always know that it’s good news. It’s going to be resources coming to the community, whether it’s bringing resources for healthcare to Cuba or bringing funding to communities like Peña Blanca to help revitalize the community.”
Leger Fernández said the rural and tribal communities are a key part of New Mexico’s identity, and that it’s important to ensure they don’t miss out on vital resources at budget time.
County Community Services Director Jayme Espinoza said the center serves nearby rural communities as well as Peña Blanca. She said the improvements will include a new building that will serve as a dedicated senior center (with its own kitchen), an updated basketball court, a new pickleball court, walking trails and better landscaping.
She later told the Sandoval Signpost construction will likely begin in one to four months.
Espinoza said the community center has been around for more than 30 years, and the goal is to see it continue serving residents for another 50 or more years.
Leger Fernández said the community center is among $14 million in projects for her district in the latest appropriations bill. After Peña Blanca, she went to Cochiti Elementary and Middle School to present another $1 million check, which will go toward improvements for the Cochiti Multi-Cultural and Career Technical Education Center.
She said the projects she included in the bill were chosen after discussions with local leaders and district residents about the needs of their communities.
Leger Fernández said she received more than 100 funding requests, and the House Appropriations Finance Committee chooses which projects stay in the final bill. She said her success in getting projects included is due to them aligning with key priorities, being innovative and enjoying strong community support.
“It’s in these communities where we keep culture alive,” she said. “Because it’s in community spaces like this that we really confirm and we relive and keep alive that connection, that community and that care for one another.”