By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City and county elected officials, local business leaders and Del Rio Parks Foundation members met at the city’s Field of Our Dreams sports complex Monday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“This is a ribbon-cutting ceremony to recognize our community sponsors and the Del Rio Parks Foundation for assisting with a grant from Howmet Aerospace for some bleachers at our multi-purpose field,” City Community Services Director Esme Meza told the 830 Times.
Earlier in the morning, Mayor Al Arreola and Blanca Larson, executive director of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, cut a symbolic red ribbon to open a series of fields on the south end of the complex, which is located off Kings Way on the city’s north side. The ceremony was held to honor the many community contributions made to the complex.
They were joined by County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton, Mayor Pro-tem Steve Webb, Councilman Jim DeReus, Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon, Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. and City Manager John Sheedy, as well as representatives of some of the local businesses and civic organizations that have made monetary or in-kind donations toward the completion of the complex.
local queens joined Mayor Al Arreola and other city elected officials and administrators
in dedicating a series of bleachers for the Field of Our Dreams. (Photo by Karen Gleason)
Those sponsors include The Khoury Group, Val Verde Regional Medical Center, the Ramada Inn of Del Rio, Cripple Creek Restaurant, the Del Rio Rotary Club, Texas Community Bank, Border Federal Credit Union, Amistad Bank, Plaza del Sol Mall, Buffalo Wings & Rings, Howmet Aerospace Foundation, Val Verde County, the Little Acre Nursery, the Del Rio Chamber Foundation, the Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the Buena Vista Development Company.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked another step towards completion of the Field of Our Dreams complex.
Meza noted a Little League baseball game was scheduled to have its first game of the season on one of the new fields later in the day.
“The Field of Our Dreams complex is a quality-of-life amenity the city and its community partners have been working on for many years,” Meza said.
The complex currently includes baseball fields, a multipurpose field that can be used for a variety of sports like soccer, football, flag football or kickball, as well as a weight-training area. Additional recreational amenities, such as a walking trail, are planned in the future.
“This Field of Our Dreams was a 10-year vision of the community. This is an awesome thing and just the beginning of amenities we’d like to create for our kids in the community,” Arreola said following the ceremony.
“It’s a great thing for the community, giving back to the community, with the city working in partnership with the county, businesses and organizations,” the mayor added.
Arreola said he wanted to offer special thanks to developer Bill Nixon and his Buena Vista Development Company, who donated much of the land for the complex. Nixon passed away March 29.
“We really should put him on a very high pedestal. He always stepped up, and he always did what was best for this community. He and his family were a blessing on this community,” Arreola said.
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