Photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy

[Editor's Note: Last Thursday, this author went out to Fort Bayard to see what has transpired while the Americorps team members are working in Grant County until July 7.]

Several of the participants were at a couple of houses in Officers' Row.

At the first house, Rebecca Smith and Luke Anderson were in the process of putting up "windows." They led this author several houses down, to where Sarah Talmadge and Heather Thompson were carefully measuring large pieces of plywood to fit into house windows from the outside.

This mothballing process will protect the glass, keep critters and people out of the houses and will protect the interiors of the houses, keeping weather out, too.

Luke told the Beat that the first few weeks of work, the team members had cleaned out all the officers' quarters. "A lot of them had furniture and a lot of dead animals. Lots of birds, a rabbit and a large rat."

He said they filled the dumpster close to five times and also cleaned out the old administration building, which had been used for Yucca Lodge drug abuse treatment facility.

Rebecca said some of the furniture that was in better shape was stored for future use. "We also cleaned out the carriage houses."

"We did landscaping around all the houses and administration building," Luke said. "Then we started measuring and cutting wood for the windows. Oh, yes, we also cleaned up the parking lot."

Rebecca said half the crew cuts boards at a time, and begins to install them, while the other members of the group are painting the boards at the Santa Clara Armory.

"It isn't easy making the boards to fit into the windows," Luke said. "Every window is a different size."

Sarah said the crew is using ¾-inch plywood to keep as much moisture out as possible.

"We are also working at The Volunteer Center once a week doing gardening and commodities distribution," Rebecca said.

"We had a mine tour the other day," Heather said.

Rebecca said Grant County, Santa Clara and Silver City form a very welcoming community.

Collectively, they each and all said that their supervisor Rocky Hildebrand is "awesome."

Sarah also thanked Santa Clara Mayor Richard Bauch and Clerk Sheila Hudman. "They check on us often and have done a lot for us. Also Dave Chandler, who helped with the application, has told us about other volunteer opportunities in the community."

Rebecca said the group is part of the National Civilian Community Corps, which has as its mission to strengthen communities and develop leaders through team-based national and community service. Participants range from 18-24 years old and partner with non-profits.

The Southwest region covers territory from Arkansas and Missouri to Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, with headquarters in Denver.

Rebecca said she has been to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas, as well as New Mexico. The team members' one-year tour is complete when they leave Grant County.

Luke said the group is called Water 5, out of seven in the region's Water Unit. Each region has four units, water, alpine, earth and sun.

Team Leader Brittany Donovan, who, along with another member, Eli Voights, had a day off, picks the members, Rebecca said.

When two returned to put up the wood over windows at the first house, Luke said he graduated this year from Bryant University, a business school, with a concentration in business management, and a minor in service line and sociology. He plans to move to Washington D.C. in the fall and do sales of some sort.

He held the plywood for a window, while Rebecca drilled in the screws.

"We only have one drill," Luke said.

At the Armory, Emmanuel "Manny" Garcia. Tony Le Calvez and Kendall Bailey painted plywood to look like windows.

Kendall was excited because the group would travel to the Gila Cliff Dwellings on Sunday. "We are walking the Big Ditch in Silver City today. We will be volunteering at the Blues Festival. I'm amazed that there is so much to do here. We will also be going to the rodeo. I've never been to a rodeo. I likely would have never come to New Mexico without Americorps."

Tony said another trip they took was to City of Rocks.

"We've tried to make the windows look realistic," Kendall said.

"I have really enjoyed what we're doing," Manny said. "I enjoy putting up the windows." He pointed out how each board is labeled to fit into the specific window it has been created for.

Kendall said the crew had made stencils from 3 ¼ inches to 5 ½ inches. Because every window is slightly different, "we made two templates to keep it simple."

Tony said it was his first time to participate in Americorps. The first project he was part of it was the second time using a team to work, and the crew did not get a whole lot of direction. "To have a first time sponsor here and having it so well organized is great. Rocky is so fun."

Kendall joined in and said: "Rocky is amazing. He really knows what he's doing."

Tony said they enjoyed having the mayor and Sheila come out to visit them and check on them.

"Everyone is so welcoming," Kendall echoed the first group.

Kendall and Manny are just out of high school and Tony is taking a year off.

Kendall hails from Charlotte, N.C.; Tony from San Diego and Manny from Rochester, N.Y.

As this past week has just ended, the crew is halfway through their stay.

Manny plans to attend Buffalo State University to major in speech pathology. Kendall will attend East Carolina University and study business. Tony plans to spend a year furthering his music career, singing and playing guitar. He said he has an album on iTunes.

The crew was also helping out at the grand opening of the Silva Family Splash Park in Santa Clara on Saturday, and then headed to the High Desert Humane Society Shelter in Silver City to do more community service.

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