New hang out

WEST ODESSA For Ector County Commissioner Freddie Gardner, it's a dream came true.

Gardner said he's been working on bringing a new senior citizen's center to his district since he took office in 1997.

"Things would just happen where we couldn't get it done, but it finally came together," Gardner said while showing off his new toy.

Wednesday, the doors finally opened on the long-planned West Side Senior Activity Center in West Odessa's Kellus Turner Park.

The 5,100-square-foot facility, which played host to a grand opening celebration, has an activity room that Gardner said is larger than the entire former senior center next door. That room features a dining area and domino tables.

The new senior center also has three smaller activity rooms, one with exercise equipment like stationary bikes and a treadmill. Another has two pool tables. The third currently has board games and tables, but Gardner said the center is open to other suggestions.

"We want the seniors to take part and tell us what they want," he said. "If they want something else, we'll get something else."

The facility will soon have a library with books and computer access.

It will also have a small office to be used by Ector County sheriff's deputies. Gardner said deputies would have keys to come by the office at night, where they can write reports, make a cup of coffee and take a restroom break. He hopes the presence of patrol cars will help deter any potential troublemakers.

"With the sheriff's department's presence out here and all the cars and lights, I don't think we'll have a problem," he said.

The center was budgeted for $185,000, but County Judge Susan Redford said the price "goes up every day."

Still, Gardner said the county doing all the work "in house" with its maintenance and road and bridge crews has kept down costs. Around $50,000 of the cost was donated. All the equipment at the center also came as gifts.

While the center is aimed at those over 55, Gardner said no one would be turned away who wanted to use it. Use of the center is free, except for a small donation that's requested to eat lunch.

Redford said she was pleased with the way people came together to build the senior center.

"This center is a true collaboration between the county and the community," she said. "It's been a very, very long time coming."

That sentiment was shared by many of those who were spending their first day using the new building Wednesday. Geraldine Smith said she raised money in the early 1990s to build the old senior center with her husband. She thought he'd be very proud to see the new place.

"It's fantastic, the bathrooms are fantastic," she said. "It's just great. I wish my husband could see it more than anybody."

Jesus Perez said he hopes the facility will have good participation from seniors.

"I think we're all grateful and promise to take good care of it," he said.

Karla Watts, the county's assistant senior center director in charge of the west side facility, said she looks forward to seeing people get out of the house and getting involved.

"To me, it's going to be like out in the country," she said, "old home folks just getting together and having a little fun."