Historic Rio Rancho Estates sign exposed by Jewish Center fires

A Rio Rancho Estates Sign was exposed after the Jewish Center by Haynes Park caught fire earlier this year, and some are concerned for its future.

“As I understand it, the Jewish Community Center building was the office for Rio Rancho Estates. Considering this part of our community’s history, I would like to see it preserved,” County Commissioner Dave Heil said.

Heil often talks about his first days in Rio Rancho as he was one of the first to live in the estates area.

Rio Rancho Estates was a community that started well before Rio Rancho was incorporated as a city. Some who have lived in Rio Rancho since then would be sad to see the sign go.

“When I do my morning walks and after the fire happened, I noticed the day care signs burned away. What was left was like a ghost from the past, and it’s the Rio Rancho Estates information center sign,” resident Janet Belotti said.

She is concerned that that piece of history would not be seen or known if the building is demolished because it’s so badly damaged.

Belotti moved to Rio Rancho Estates when she was 5 years old in 1964. Her family moved from Hempstead, Long Island, New York.

Her dad was an airplane mechanic working for TWA who transferred to the area because it was a slower pace and cleaner environment.

“The whole area where I live is still the same area, and it’s just very meaningful to me, especially just that building,” she added.

She had fond memories of the place from when she was a kid.

“The park used to have swings, and it had a pond with a water fountain and all the kids knew each other because it was so few of us and we all played there. We would go into the the land office where the salesman had the lemonade that bubbled down the side of the thingy, you know, the old thing and it was ice cold and we’d be hot and sweaty and they would just let us come in and drink lemonade,” Belotti said.

Haynes Park is named after Zelda Haynes, who Belotti says used to organize some community activities and events.

“Not only the great Fourth of July events (modeling, watermelon eating contests, etc.) but she organized the wives to teach the girls home economics. My sister and I learned to sew, crochet, knit and embroider,” she said.

Belotti remembers the advertising for the model homes back then. She added that the advertisement made it seem like Rio Rancho Estates was a resort of some kind. She said the area outside the homes was nothing but dirt at the time.

There was a brief time when Belotti moved to Taylor Ranch, but she moved back into her family home and still lives there to this day.

As far as what will happen to the sign and the building, a fate has not been declared yet by the property owners.