Photo and text by Lisa Jimenez

aia 5 points bayardAIA Design Assistance Team members, pictured from left to right: Todd Scott, AIA team leader from Seattle, WA; Mike Davis from Boston, MA; Haley Blakeman, Baton Rouge, LA; Cheryl Morgan, Birmingham, AL; and Wayne Feiden, North Hampton, MA. A five-person, multi-disciplinary design assistance team from the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) based in Washington, D.C., toured five historic properties in Grant County Monday, including the Bayard Union Hall, pictured here. The union hall is one of five locations that comprise the Five Points Initiative of Southwest New Mexico ACT (swnmACT), a Grant County nonprofit organization dedicated to creative economic development based on preservation of local culture, history and the expansion of outdoor recreational opportunities.

The other four locations of the Five Points Initiative include the Bradley Hotel in Santa Clara, the old Hurley Schoolhouse, now known as Whiskey Creek Zocalo in Arenas Valley, the Waterworks Building in Silver City (also known as the Rock House), and the Hurley Train Station.

After spending the day touring these historic sites, the AIA team then gathered at Bear Mountain Lodge to participate in an online "community visioning session," then began the process of developing a preliminary plan for connecting these five locations together, while also tying in other recreational, cultural and historic resources in the county.  

"There are some really phenomenal assets in Grant County," said AIA team leader Todd Scott. "We've been excited to see not only the five points, but other things too that really make this area special, including the incredible culture, the rich history and some really fabulous architecture. We're looking forward to developing a plan with the community that inspires people to really appreciate and celebrate the local culture and heritage." 

AIA team members came to Grant County from all over the country to join local community leaders as well as swnmACT Director Lee Gruber and Bridgette Johns, program coordinator, to further develop and integrate the five points with other community resources such as Fort Bayard, local trail systems and other outdoor recreational facilities. The AIA teams' services are valued at some $180,000 and provided pro bono, thanks to a successful grant-writing effort by swnmACT. This design assistance team program of the AIA has worked with over 200 communities since 1964, and employs a "whole community approach" to help communities identify a local vision for the area's future, and create a strategy and set of actions to realize that vision. 

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.