By rssfeeds-admin 
The demolition process has commenced for G.V. Daniels and Cesar Chavez recreation centers. It’s part of a $28,000,000 bond to upgrade Abilene’s recreation centers, but the old buildings have a lot of history behind them. Amber-Dale McPherson shared some of the history as she spent her afternoon watching her children play at Arthur Sears Park while the demolition of Cesar Chavez Recreation Center happened in the background.
“Me and my brother made a lot of really great memories together here. We just really enjoyed it. I went to the aftercare program as a child. We went on field trips; I can’t even recall how many times we would just go and do things that I probably ordinarily wouldn’t have been doing in the summer with two working parents.” McPherson said.
McPherson wasn’t the only one reminiscing about memories. Billy E. Cummings has lived directly next to the G.V. Daniels Recreation Center his whole life. He attended Woodson Elementary School down the block pre-integration and shared some of his personal history with the building.
“This was the all colored high school. And my daddy, he had graduated from there. We just called it the center. And then Genevieve Daniels, she became the curator and director. She was there for over 20 years. I know my whole life growing up. That’s why they kind of named it after her. You had the inside for games; you have what we call a “slick spot,” just a concrete slab. Four square hopscotch. That light all the way back there in the corner, the baseball diamond right over Treadaway. So, when you play baseball, hit a home run, if you can get it all over here in our driveway, you was one of the big swingers!” said Cummings.
After the demolition of the recreation centers is complete, the City of Abilene plans to rebuild new recreation centers in the exact locations and provide updated facilities and services to the Abilene community.
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