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HUMAN SYSTEMS RESEARCH, INC.

Nonprofit offers thanks for schoolhouse rehab project help

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The Las Cruces CCC Schoolhouse Rehabilitation Project is nearing completion. Human Systems Research, Inc. (HSR) would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to the highly talented volunteers who are bringing this dream to fruition.

In celebration of its centennial in 2021, Lowe’s Home Improvement Corporation solicited grant applications for community impact projects throughout the country which would form the foundation for Lowe’s 100 Hometowns Program. HSR’s proposal for rehabbing the exterior of the schoolhouse was one of 100 projects in 39 states chosen from over 2,200 submissions.

Funding from the grant enabled HSR to engage the services of Gabriel Hermosillo and BrandSafway of El Paso. The scaffolding we rented from BrandSafway provided us with an OSHA-quality workspace where we could work safely and with confidence. Thank you, Gabriel and your crew for a truly professional job!

The project received a jump start when Kevin Quinn, manager of Lowe’s Home Improvement in Las Cruces, organized a group of 35 employee volunteers from his store, the Alamogordo store and stores in El Paso. This large and enthusiastic crew carefully removed the old problematic concrete stucco by hand in one day, revealing the original native rock walls. Thanks to Kevin and the whole Lowe’s crew!

Overall, this project has been guided by project directors Sonya Cooper, PhD, and Jean Fulton. Trained as a civil engineer, Sonya recently retired from NMSU after serving as associate dean of engineering and interim dean of the College of Health Education and Social Transformation. Jean is an architectural historian who owns TimeSprings, Inc., a preservation consulting firm. In 2019, Jean’s work on the historic Amador Hotel in Downtown Las Cruces earned a prestigious heritage preservation award from the New Mexico Cultural Affairs Department (DCA). Both Jean and Sonya trained, supervised and worked alongside the volunteers while the concrete stucco was removed and subsequently replaced with traditional lime plaster. The efforts of these two professionals ensured that the standards required for a building listed on the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties and on the National Register of Historic Places have been maintained throughout. Mil Gracias, Sonya and Jean!

HSR has been blessed to have Larry Limon, maestro yesero, working with us. Larry is a classic blend of artist and craftsman. In 2017, his adobe lime plaster restoration work throughout southern New Mexico earned him a heritage preservation award for individual achievement from DCA. Antonio Marinalena, Larry’s trusted assistant, was joined by long-time HSR supporters and apprentice plasterers Faith Hutson and John Verploegh. This foursome was also instrumental in restoring the lime plaster of Phillips Chapel in the Mesquite Historic District of Las Cruces, another true labor of love. To Larry, Antonio, Faith and John, many, many thanks for the new-old look of the schoolhouse!

Many others answered our calls for help and brought with them both generosity of spirit and curiosity for the tasks. In the process of working together they formed a dedicated workforce spanning 10 weeks. Several members of HSR’s board of directors joined in, including Judy Berryman, Dick Emery, Kathy Fuller (and husband Eric) and Don Miller. Other weekenders included longstanding friends of HSR, while some people came as strangers and left as valued contributors to the team. Whether removing stucco, hauling wheelbarrows of debris, hoisting buckets of plaster, applying lime wash or doing so much more, this cadre of volunteers was cheerful, energetic, and cooperative. Thanks to all for giving of yourselves and helping bring the Schoolhouse back to life as a polished gem!

HSR, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in February, is the oldest nonprofit in New Mexico doing anthropological and archaeological research and preservation work. Visit https://humansystemsresearch.org/.

Las Cruces CCC Schoolhouse Rehabilitation Project, Human Systems Research, Inc.

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