Will old spirit survive in the new Aztlan?

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

The first week of October brought tears to many, as the old Northside Aztlan Community Center fell to the jaws of a wrecking crew.

"It was like losing a family member," said Elaine Bueno, a program facilitator for Aztlan who began working at the center when she was just 13.

In fact, many current Aztlan employees who watched the demolition literally grew up at the old facility. Susie Lagradilla and Crystal Gonzales began going to Aztlan with their mothers when they were preschoolers, and they now work at the center.

Jeff Ortiz, 20, began working at Aztlan at age 14 and is still employed there. The center "kept me out of trouble," he said. "It kept me working and was like another home to me."

Bueno's daughter Gianna first came to the center when she was 2 weeks old, since employees were allowed to bring children with them to work. That will no longer be allowed at the new, $10 million facility that opened Oct. 1.

"That's the most difficult part for a lot of us," said Bueno. "It was such a wonderful place to have children."

The old Aztlan embodied a strong sense of commitment, family and community, Bueno said. "There was a feeling of reaching down and pulling up," she said, including role models and interventions when youth were headed in the wrong direction.

Some who witnessed the old walls coming down expressed fears that the heart of the old center, this sense of community, might end up in the landfill along with the bricks and mortar.

In the intervening weeks, however, some of the concerns have been put to rest.

"I see a lot of kids checking out the new building," said Bueno, and the youth are anxiously waiting to try out the new gyms. Classes started at the new Aztlan on Oct. 1, but the gyms and fitness area won't be open until the parking lot is completed in early November.

"Something new is always scary," said Bueno, adding that the north Fort Collins community was comfortable with what they had. "Now that the other building is gone, it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

Youth now pay fees

One change at the new facility has been particularly contentious with old-timers. At the old center, children and youth could use the facility for free until they were 18. Now, there are daily drop-in fees of $1 or $2, depending on age, for youth ages 6 to 18. Some families will not be able to afford the fees, said Bueno.

Parks and Recreation Manager Jean Helburg explained that the Fort Collins City Council has mandated that the department bring in revenue to help support the new facility. "It's always an issue" when a new fee is imposed, she said; she also noted that the fees were ratcheted down from what was originally proposed.

The department also has a scholarship program in place, Helburg pointed out, for all city recreation facilities. "We don't turn kids away in any of our programs," she said.

Steve Budner, who is in charge of the new Aztlan, said the staff will work hard to make sure youth who can't afford the fees get the assistance they need. More paperwork will be involved with the new system, he acknowledged, but "the end result should be the same."

Budner said he hopes parents will help by filling out the necessary paperwork for recreation scholarships.

Part of the new building--the lounge, pool table room and computer room--can be used free of charge.

New center too grand?

Some parents are also concerned that the new facility is too grand and their children won't feel welcome there. Budner said the same fears surfaced when the new Fort Collins Senior Center opened in 1995, but the staff worked hard to help seniors adjust.

"Once they (the youth) see others their own age, that thought process will go right out the window," Budner promised. "If people will give us the chance, they will be greeted by someone with a smile on their face, wanting to help them enjoy our facility."

He said both old-timers and new folks who have stopped in to check out the facility have been "really excited" about the new building.

Before the old Aztlan Center was demolished, the staff held a "blessing of the ground" ceremony there, a Native American ritual for sharing good memories and transferring the spirit of community to the new building. A similar, public blessing ceremony will be part of the grand opening celebration at the new Aztlan on Nov. 30.