Photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy

On Thursday, July 5, 2018, a recognition ceremony took place at the Fort Bayard Historic Landmark Theater. The 11 Americorps youths who had worked at Fort Bayard, as well as in Silver City, completed their third tour of work for the year stabilizing the historic buildings at Fort Bayard.

The village of Santa Clara housed the young people at the Santa Clara Armory, where they also utilized space to paint "windows" and "doors" to tighten up the buildings.

"We boarded up 25 houses with 436 windows and doors," Americorps N Triple C (National Civilian Community Corps) Earth 9 group leader Clara White said. "The village of Santa Clara won the sponsor of the year award. Rocky (Harry Hildebrand, Santa Clara trustee) will go to Denver to accept the award. He has been our support all through these three months."

Santa Clara Mayor Richard Bauch said the group has been very successful in its work. "We are happy to see the progress to help save our historic building, as we try to preserve and enhance Fort Bayard. Thank you all."

Dave Chandler, president of the Fort Bayard Restoration and Development Coalition, and development director at Aldo Leopold Charter School, helped write the grant that brought Americorps youths to Fort Bayard for a second year.

"The community is willing to house and provide materials for the work," Chandler said. "The community stepped forward again to buy plywood and paint. The village also provided someone to support you—Rocky."

He said the Youth Conservation Corps started in Santa Clara about four years ago. "We saw the value of young people to enhance the village. It gave us confidence to apply for Americorps. Sheila Hudman (Santa Clara clerk) is a huge supporter of national service. She and the mayor have the vision to see how youth can change a village."

Alexis Johnson, counsel for the New Mexico General Services Department, which owns Fort Bayard, told the young people: "You have a whole team backing you up. It starts with the governor, through the GSD Cabinet Secretary and the GSD. Fort Bayard is a state property, but it has been lovingly tended by Santa Clara and its neighbors. We recognize that the YCC set up the process to bring in Americorps members. The work you've done does not go unnoticed. It's been done with collaborative/cooperative work with the village and everyone who has stepped forward. We appreciate all the effort, including the historians who have preserved its history. It's a terrific opportunity for the state's preservation efforts. You people have done the work of sustaining the fort. It takes people like you to sustain it."

He noted the Americorps team was made up of participants from Wisconsin, New York, Oregon, Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, Florida and Michigan.

"We are indebted to these states for supplying such energetic folks," Johnson concluded.

White noted that the team nominated Santa Clara as the sponsor of the year and it was awarded to the village. "Rocky will accept it at our graduation in Denver next week."

A poem by YCC student Danica Arcier was read at the close of the ceremony as a rap:

Uncle Sam wants you to help Fort Bayard
And help protect the place we shared.
Look outside and you can see
Fort Bayard ain't what it used to be.
Preserving this place should be our goal.
We don' want it to become a big black hole.
We need to love and protect our home
Not just leave it out there all alone.
We need to restore this place and find a way
We could make this our home again one day.

Uncle Sam wants you to preserve, protect and restore Fort Bayard.

The teams were treated to a barbecue lunch after the ceremony. The Americorps team left the following day to drive to Denver.

 

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