NEWS AT TEN STARTS RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE OVER 10,000 KIDS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT FACILITY AND AGAIN, IF WE CAN KEEP KIDS ENGAGED IN SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES AFTER SCHOOL, I THINK THAT BENEFITS US ALL. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE LEGISLATURE ARE OBTAINED BY MULTIPLE YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS. IT HAS BEEN STRIPPED AWAY. THE MONEY WOULD HAVE MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR LOCAL YOUTH ATHLETES AND THE COMMUNITY. TONIGHT, TARGET 7 JOHN CARDINAL AIMS TO GET ANSWERS AS TO WHY THAT MONEY WAS TAKEN AWAY. WHAT MEET GLORIA FABER. SO EXISTING FIELDS AT MESA SOLE ARE THESE RIGHT HERE? SHE’S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW MEXICO YOUTH SOCCER ORGANIZING MISSION. THESE FIELDS RIGHT HERE WILL BE SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS. AND FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. BUT THIS IS THE PROJECT COMPLETION. RENDERING 31 FIELDS. WHEN IT’S ALL SAID AND DONE. SHE AND OTHER YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN WORKING TO EXPAND THE MESA DEL SOL SPORTS COMPLEX. WE WANT TO GROW SOCCER. WE WANT TO GROW FOOTBALL, LACROSSE, ALL SORTS OF FIELD SPORTS. LIKE ANY PROJECT, MONEY IS NEEDED. SO FABRE AND OTHER FIELD SPORT ADVOCATES TOOK ACTION. MYSELF AND A HANDFUL OF CHEERLEADERS, FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND SOCCER PLAYERS ALL WENT UP TO ADVOCATE FOR THE MESA DEL SOL PROJECT. THEY WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE AND ASKED FOR $5 MILLION TO HELP WITH THE PROJECT. I THINK IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. SHE WAITED AND EVENTUALLY RECEIVED GOOD NEWS. THEY GOT THE MONEY. OH, WE WERE ELATED. FABRE ALONG WITH OTHER LOCAL YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS, THOUGHT THEY HAD SECURED $5 MILLION FROM THE LEGISLATURE TO PUT NEW FIELDS HERE AT THE MESA DEL SOL SPORTS COMPLEX. HOWEVER, ALL OF THAT WOULD SOON CHANGE. FOR US, IT WAS LIKE I SAID, DISHEARTENING. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT IT HAPPENED. SO WHY DID THE MONEY GET TAKEN AWAY? WE VIEW THE CITY’S CONTRIBUTION IS REALLY CHANNELING THE STATE FUNDING THAT CAN BE USED IN THAT IS RELEVANT FOR THIS PROJECT. ON THURSDAY, THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING THEY HAD RECEIVED MONEY FROM THE LEGISLATURE THAT MONIES ARE GOING TO BE USED TO BUILD NEW MEXICO UNITED, A SOCCER STADIUM AT BALLOON FIESTA PARK. THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL 5 MILLION THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THIS YEAR’S STATE CAPITAL OUTLAY. BUT I WILL JUST SAY THE GOVERNOR HAS NOT SIGNED THAT CAPITAL THAT WAY. LEY BILL, SHE HAS UNTIL THE 7TH OF APRIL TO MAKE THAT DECISION. TARGETS SEVEN PULLED UP THE CAPITAL OUTLAY FUNDING BILL. YOU CAN SEE HERE $5 MILLION FOR MESA. DEL SOL IS CROSSED OUT AND YOU CAN SEE 5 MILLION BEING ADDED TO PLANNED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT PHASE ONE OF A SPORTS AND CULTURAL CENTER IN ALBUQUERQUE. THESE FUNDS GIVEN FROM THE STATE TO THE CITY FOR THE PURPOSES OF VARIOUS TYPES OF STADIUMS. WE REACHED OUT TO NEW MEXICO UNITED. THEY WERE NOT PRESENT AT THURSDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE. THEY TOLD US THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH SECURING FUNDS FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF A POSSIBLE SPORTS CENTER PROJECT. THE FACILITY WOULD NOT REQUIRE ANY CITY TAXPAYER SPECIFIC FUNDING. TARGET 7 WANTED TO KNOW WHY THE MONEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE MESA DEL SOL PROJECT. SO WE REACHED OUT TO THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE AND ASKED IF SHE WAS THE ONE WHO REQUESTED A CHANGE IN ALLOCATION OF FUNDS. HER OFFICE SAID THE LEGISLATURE INCLUDED MULTIPLE DRAFTING ERRORS IN THE ORIGINAL LEGISLA ATION THAT REQUIRED MORE THAN A DOZEN CHANGES ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. THIS FUNDING WAS ALWAYS INTENDED FOR THE SPORTS AND CULTURAL CENTER AND BERNALILLO COUNTY, SO NO MONEY WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM MESA DEL SOL. WE’RE NOT AGAINST ANY PROJECTS THAT RECEIVED CAPITAL OUTLAY MONEY. THAT’S IMPORTANT AS WELL. OUR FOCUS IS YOUTH. WHILE FABRE IS DISAPPOINTED YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS WILL NO LONGER BE GETTING MILLIONS FOR NEW FIELDS. SHE SAYS THE FIGHT WILL NOT STOP. IT WILL BE UP VISITING THE LEGISLATURE EVERY SINGLE YEAR TO REIGNITE THE PROJECT AND AND TO GET FUNDS FOR THE NEXT PHASES. FOR TARGET 7, I’M JOHN CARDINAL. WE TARGET 7 REACHED OUT TO THE LEGISLATURE AND ASKED WHO MADE THE CHANGE IN MONEY APPROPRIATION. THEY SAY THAT INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL APRIL 17TH. OUR TEAM WILL BE FOLLOWING UP ONCE THE INFO IS AVAILABLE. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE CITY