By Rachel Brandes
Moapa Valley Progress
Moapa Valley Seniors had something big to celebrate on Thursday, February 21. After many years of work, planning and anticipation, the ground breaking ceremony for the new Overton Senior Center facility was held.
The new facility will be located at 325 Cooper Street between the Maverick Gas Station and the Overton Community Center. A chain-link fence was installed around the lot a couple of weeks ago. Now construction crews will be working hard to get the new structure up and ready.
According to Evan Childers, Construction Manager with Real Property Management, this 10,300 square foot project is expected to be completed in approximately 300 days. “There will be issues along the way,” explained Childers. “We will be shutting down lanes along the highway so please be patient with us.”
To celebrate the ground breaking, breakfast was served at the Overton Community Center. the breakfast was prepared by Matt LaCroix and Richard Rockenbach of the Clark County Northeast Office.
Childers began by welcoming all in attendance; he also welcomed elected officials who had come to the event. Commissioners Bruce Woodbury and Tom Collins, State Senator Warren Hardy, and Tom Mullin, staff assistant from Senator Harry Reid’s office were all in attendance.
Childers turned the microphone over to Mullin who presented Senior Center Director Jim Purkey and Senior Center Board Chairman Pete Kesl with a Certificate of Commendation on behalf of Senator Reid’s office. “I didn’t expect this,” said a pleasantly surprised Purkey. Commissioner Woodbury spoke to the anxious crowd for a moment thanking everybody involved for making the new facility a reality. “Thank you all and congratulations Seniors!” concluded Woodbury.
Commissioner Collins gave big kudos to Woodbury for his hard work in making this all possible. “He was key to this,” said Collins.
The crowd in attendance eventually made their way out to the construction sight for the ground breaking photo opportunity. The large group of dignitaries all grabbed shovels and scooped up a bit of fresh dirt to symbolize the ground breaking for the new facility.