Open-and-shut case: Funding woes affect Sunnyside Community Center

Cutting back on parks and recreation may mean shutters for the Sunnyside Community Center.

The building, on South First Street in South Hill Park, is home to adult classes, open gymnasium basketball, the Sunnyside School District's summer lunch program and community meetings. The office serves as the information hub for almost all recreation activities in the area, even the ones city staff does not organize.

The $1.9 million facility was built only four years ago.

The city opened the center in April 2004 with a $750,000 federal grant and contributed the rest through land and cash. Sunnyside contracted with the Washington State Migrant Council to operate it for $60,000 a year.

In the fall of the same year, the migrant council terminated its contract, which was supposed to be for five years. In 2005, the city began leasing police vehicles and eliminated the position of parks and recreation director in favor of a recreation coordinator. That freed up enough money to keep the center open.

Dance classes are among the most popular activities.

Longtime Yakima Valley residents Jim and Nan Ide sometimes attract more than 30 couples to their ballroom classes.

The duo were contracted by the city for a cut of the registration revenue, while the community center staff provided the place and registration service. Yoga classes, zumba workouts and scrapbooking seminars operated the same way.

All those groups are looking for new homes.

"I'm going to try to do it," says Jim Ide. "I know that one of the churches said that we could use their parish hall."

The Ides taught their classes in school gymnasiums for many years before the community center was built. They plan to begin some classes at the Toppenish Eagles' hall.

But all the registration, scheduling and advertising will be their job now, and they may have to raise prices to cover the extra work, Jim Ide says.

Dana and Christian Camarena teach salsa and zumba — aerobics choreographed to Latin music. The Richland couple hope to open their own studio some day. Until then, they use community centers, such as the one in Sunnyside.

Their students, too, are searching for new digs. Church fellowship halls would work, Camarena says, but not as well. It helps everybody to have a central gathering point like a community center.

"Every city needs a recreation center," she says.