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No New Ruins — A Plea from a Stubborn Optimist

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  • No New Ruins — A Plea from a Stubborn Optimist
By Bill Doelle, President & CEO
Bill Doelle

Sometimes, archaeologists can prevent ruins. Yes, I said prevent, not preserve. Camp Naco is teaching me life lessons about just how hard it can be to prevent ruins.

After working with a devoted team of ruin preventers for the past eight years, it is time to start counting successes. Camp Naco will soon be declared “asbestos free” as a $400,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant is completed. My field trip on August 8 revealed that five buildings are now stabilized. Three more are almost there. One yields optimism. And one remains at the mercy of the elements due to a lack of funds.

On the day of our public meeting for the EPA Brownfields grant (September 29, 2010), arsonists created a new ruin at Camp Naco when they burned officer’s quarter building C4. Click to enlarge.
On the day of our public meeting for the EPA Brownfields grant (September 29, 2010), arsonists created a new ruin at Camp Naco when they burned officer’s quarter building C4. Click to enlarge.

There is a lot of good news regarding Ruin Prevention in the previous paragraph. Nevertheless, I am obsessed with the Camp Naco building that “yields optimism.” That building is teetering between stabilization and ruin. Even though we just reached the target of $7,500 for our “Roof Camp Naco” effort, I am compelled to initiate another $7,500 campaign to save the officer’s quarter, building C2. If we quit now, we push this building toward ruin.

Officer’s quarter building C2 is the best preserved of the original four such buildings. It is seen here in 2009, with C1 in the background. Protecting C2 now will prevent one more ruin at Camp Naco. Click to enlarge.
Officer’s quarter building C2 is the best preserved of the original four such buildings. It is seen here in 2009, with C1 in the background. Protecting C2 now will prevent one more ruin at Camp Naco. Click to enlarge.

Because of all the progress that has been made this summer, C2 has become even more important for the future. It is our priority place to restore to residential use. And getting a residential presence re-established at Camp Naco is really the key to long-term success.

So, stubborn optimism (you know me!) forces me to launch round 2 of the effort to prevent new ruins at Camp Naco. Already, we are nearly $1,800 toward our new target of stabilizing C2, but your help is needed to move us forward.

We can do this. Please click here to see how you can help.

One thought on “No New Ruins — A Plea from a Stubborn Optimist”

  1. Bonnie Rush says:
    August 12, 2013 at 11:50 am

    Sorry I can’t donate. My ex and I looked into buying this property in the mid 70s. Wishing you all the best. Huge, but worthwhile project…

Comments are closed.

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