By: Katie Babb
Commonwealth Assets are present in every community, but the prevalence of those assets can vary greatly depending on the size and location of that community. In the case of Baca County, the prevalence of Leisure and Recreation is somewhat low. Within the county, there are six towns. Most of these towns are very small, and none of the towns in the county are big enough to host anything larger than a Big R. The county only hosts one movie theater and one stage theater that is separate from a school. Anyone who wants to walk through Walmart, go bowling, or browse through a bookstore has to drive to Prowers County to get to Lamar, 45 minutes from the biggest town in Baca County. At least one town in the county hosts no stores at all, meaning any shopping must be done in one of the bigger towns in the county or in a bigger town at least an hour away.
While Leisure and Recreation are somewhat lacking, there is still a presence of it in the community. Three of the towns in the county hold swimming pools, one of which is indoor and one of which hosts a high dive board. Most, if not all, of the towns, have parks or community centers where community events can be held. There is a fairground with a rodeo arena that is used every year during the first week of August for the Annual County Fair. Auctions are held on a semi-regular basis in a warehouse just outside Springfield. Though it doesn’t always feel like there is much to do, Baca County still has plenty to offer.
