Cuellar delivers federal grant for youth center in Cotulla
By Marc Robertson
Following a promise he made to elected officials in March, District 28 Congressman Henry Cuellar visited La Salle County last week to deliver a grant of more than $930,000 earmarked for a Boys’ & Girls’ Club recreation and activity center in Cotulla.
The congressman, who is expecting to see his district expanded to cover the majority of La Salle County in a boundary change this year, had served in helping open the annual county fair and Cotulla Wild Hog Cook-Off this year, when he promised to secure the funds.
Rep. Cuellar is a member of the US House Appropriations Committee, which oversees federal funding and grants for a range of government departments and civil projects.
La Salle County Judge Leodoro Martinez III and county commissioners joined the congressman Thursday, July 9, in announcing that the money will be used for a recreation and educational facility.
The targeted site for the construction, Judge Martinez said, is am empty property on Carrizo Street near the county courthouse. Owned by the Laredo Area Foundation, the property has been left undeveloped since its donation to the philanthropic organization and a wooden structure on it was demolished in the late 1990s.
The foundation has stipulated that the site may only be used for a facility that benefits the community in an educational way. Judge Martinez said he believes a youth recreation and activity center with classroom space more than meets the criteria, as it promotes health and wellbeing while offering supervised instruction, guidance, team activities, extracurricular learning and inclusion for all youths in the community.
The Boy’s & Girl’s Club of Cotulla was established more than two decades ago as part of the nationwide organization and with support from South Texas Rural Health, Inc. as well as local civic and community leaders. The local group does not presently have a facility of its own.
“Today, we are announcing almost a million dollars for our young folks here,” Rep. Cuellar said on Thursday. “You decide how to use it. We work hard every day for you, but you still have to have quality of life, somewhere for our kids to go.”
The congressman said he expects the grant award to be finalized by the end of year, at which point “you can get started on what you want to do.”
“There have been many talks on a youth center,” the county judge said. “We are thankful to Jeremy and Missy Peters at the Laredo Area Foundation for being a big part of this, and for the land donation. We hope to have a schematic for the building in the next few months.
“We will use this for our youths and for other learners,” the county judge said, “including a facility for those who need to complete their education, such as with a GED. This will be a place to gather.
“This is an important cause,” the judge said in welcoming the congressman to the courthouse. “The commissioners and I have explored a lot, to bring this to be part of the community and for our children to enjoy.
“We partnered with the city in this effort,” Judge Martinez said, “and I want to thank the commissioners for being a part of this too.”
Support for the project at last week’s presentation came from county and city officials, law enforcement, emergency responders, and several healthcare and service providers.
“We have to make sure our kids have everything in place to succeed in life,” Judge Martinez said. “We put our necks out there, and it’s working out for the betterment of our children. We continue to move La Salle County forward.”
“My job in appropriations is to be a partner in the funding,” Rep. Cuellar said. “What we look at is how to improve the quality of life, and this is for our kids.”
