Ordinary Ordway, Part 5

    I was asked if Ordway had any parks or public services other than the schools and Crowley County services I posted on Part 3 of this series.

   The answer is yes, and for your viewing pleasure here they are.

 One of the first places you see when you enter the town proper - Edward C. Chavez Veteran's Park

      The park is fairly large and boasts fountains that children (and adults I suppose) can play in

                          This is either the Town Hall or the Chamber of Commerce...or both

                                 A repurposed church is now the Senior Citizens Center

                                  Smack dab in the middle of the town is Conestoga park. 

         Conestoga park is about twice the size of Chavez Veteran's Park, with a lot more trees

                    This small cabin is situated near Conestoga park...but I have no idea why

             There is a small solar farm...the town gets plenty of sunshine, so it's probably a good idea

     This is the Crowley County Nursing Center which I imagine is the same as a convalescent home

                            The Ordway Community Garden could use a bit more...garden

                                              Ordway has nice, modern U.S. Post Office

            The Town's recycling center - must be fairly old as the phone numbers are only 7 digits

                         The Crowley County courthouse and the Department of Human Services

 The Crowley County Justice Center is located in the old court house...which literally looks like a house

This small building is home to the companies that control the reservoirs and the canals

This old parked diesel locomotive is apparently a local landmark

Ordinary Ordway, Part 4

    As was mentioned in the first of these Ordinary Ordway blogs, the town was brought to my attention by recent media coverage of the town putting up abandoned commercial buildings for sale at prices starting around $3,500.00

   This being the fourth part of the series and a sufficient amount of information about the town of Ordway having been posted, it's nigh time for the buildings that are on offer to be displayed. 

   Please bear in my mind that I have no idea that these are all the buildings (or actually any of the buildings) being offered up at bargain prices, but they are pretty much all the unoccupied/abandoned-looking commercial buildings I saw in Ordway.

   Here you go:

                                                         The Ordway Business District

I believe the Pharmacy is open...but not the building on the corner

                    That store front on the far right...221 1/2...shouldn't that be a detective agency?

   That's about it, I think...I took a few more pics of commercial buildings that looked vacant, but I wasn't quite sure enough that they would qualify as abandoned, so I refrained from posting them.

   Also, about that "abandoned" qualification...if I inadvertently posted a building on this blog and it is definitely not abandoned, mucho apologies from me...however, you might want to work on sprucing up the place.

Ordinary Ordway, Part 3

   Ordway Colorado is the county seat of Crowley County, Colorado, and as such has a number of Crowley County administration buildings and public service facilities.

   Ordway has a population of 1,066 residents, and Crowley County (which is comprised of the towns of Ordway, Sugar City, Olney Springs, and of course, Crowley) has a population of 5,922. 

   However...of the census-counted 5,922 residents of Crowley County, 2,690 (plus or minus - changes monthly) of them are prisoners housed at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility just outside Ordway, and the Crowley County Correctional Facility near Olney Springs.

   Being that over half of the census-counted residents are guests of the county or state, that makes Crowley County the U.S. County with the highest percentage of residents being unable to leave if they want to. 

   It possibly also makes Crowley County the U.S. county with the highest percentage of residents who technically are law enforcement officers.

   But I digress. Today's blog is all about the county services that are available in Ordway. There are quite a few, starting with the schools. Ordway is home to not only the Crowley County school district, but also the three schools that make up the Crowley County school district. 

   They all appear to be very nice, modern facilities. Check 'em out:

   The above are the buildings that comprise the Crowley County school district. They are all located in one central area in the north quarter of Ordway, and as you can see, they are all very attractive, modern structures.

         Not sure if the Library is part of the school district, but is located near the school complex

   There are athletic fields in the area immediately surrounding the schools, and they too are well kept modern venues.

                        The football field, which I imagine doubles as a soccer field if necessary

                 This is one of several baseball diamonds. Folks in Crowley County love baseball

                                                         Another of the several ballparks

                                                Memorial to hometown great Matt Buhr

                                                                  Batting cages

                                                                Basketball courts

                                            The Monkey Bars leave a bit to be desired

Ordinary Ordway, Part 2

   My visits to small towns almost always include a sampling of the homes the residents live in as I find houses and how they are cared for and decorated to be interesting, and a bit revealing as to an area's character.

   Here are a few of the homes seen in Ordway, Colorado: