Most Current List of Plaques for the Recognition Wall
Marvin & Wilda Blankenship
Pat Watson
Andy Cooper
Tom & Maureen Brady
Ollie & Sue Cooper
Stan Reid
Dick & Patty Salesses
Vern & Barbara Schreiber
Fred & Marleen Kent
Arlo L Mead & Richard A. Wolf
|
|
Elks Lodge #2799 Building Project
(November 30, 2008) From Ollie Cooper- Interim Chairman.
Well here it is another month gone by. Hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving.
We started to work on the building and have a little framing work done on the walls (see picture front cover). It is going slow. Seems weekends are the only time we can get to work on it.
We still don’t have an electrician yet. We have another bid coming in hopefully on Monday the 1st, then we will go from there. Watch the “white board” at the Lodge for times workers are needed, or call the Lodge and check.
(October 31, 2008) From Ollie Cooper- Interim Chairman. My brothers and sisters as most of you know I have been appointed interim building chairman. I have been working very diligently on the project.
I have numbers on materials for building the bingo room at the new Lodge, also some ballpark figures on electrical. It is going to cost close to $30,000 dollars to get us in there to play bingo, as that is very essential to our moving to our new Lodge.
I still need to take plans to Las Cruces to the state engineer, maybe 10-28-08, as I am trying to make one trip do two things (my trailer is still over there). Anyway I will get them over there soon.
Also I had a guy approach me about the drop ceiling and I told him to give me a bid on it. Looks like this thing is starting to roll and I need a lot of help with it.
A very special thank you to Ed Mills for his participation as he is furnishing the G B 98 contractors license for us to work under. We are very close to applying for a permit , so keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best Yours in ELKDOM.
(August 31, 2008) From Bill Snell-Chairman. The engineers have submitted their data to the architect and he has incorporated that into his prints. We are setting up a meeting with the Fire Marshal to secure his approval. Hopefully that will take place this week. After that the next stage will be to submit the plans to the City of Deming, and the CIS for their review and issuance of permits. Lets hope the powers that be will not find too much that will need tweaking.
(July 31, 2008) From Bill Snell-Chairman. We are making progress. The architect found a mechanical engineer who
was interested in our job. Their quote was less than the one we had been
hoping to hire from Silver City. Today the second piece of good news
arrived in my email box. The mechanical engineer presented our job to an
electrical engineer they work with. They are also interested in the job. Their quote came in at $1,870.00 plus gross receipts tax. If we want
to do the fire alarm now there would be an additional amount of $420.00. This would be a good idea as it would mean we would not have to rip anything out to add it later. May also cost less as we could buy the
material at today’s cost, and with the building still having open access to
the installation area would be better. Again these are good prices, better
than any other we have seen. Every one has been given the go ahead. Prints hopefully will be forth coming shortly so that we can clean up any last minute details and apply for permits.
(June 30, 2008) From Bill Snell- Chairman.
Not much to report this month.
We have been trying to push the engineer to move faster with our project. But when you are the only game in town you get to call the shots. I asked the architect to see if he could do
something to get this guy to move or find someone else no matter where they are located. He made a trip to Las Cruces last week and met with another outfit. He explained who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. They said they would be very interested in the job and are willing to help. So at this point we are waiting for their quote. Hopefully it will be a good one and we can get underway soon. In the meantime we are starting to cost out phase one (main hall and bathrooms) and will get a better picture of our costs.
There will be an outside cleanup on Sunday, June 13th at 9 am. Hope to see you there.
(May 31, 2008) From Bill Snell– Chairman.
First I want to give a big thanks to the folks who showed up for the
clean-up on the 10th. Fred and Marleen Kent, Joe Grove, Guy Gilmore, Javier Gallosa, Steve Dunning, Bob Bean and Jo Ann Snell. Great work
guys. We got a lot done in a short time. We cut the limbs that had been pruned from the trees in the rear of the
building and stacked them for later burning. We had wanted to burn a lot
of the trash wood and debris around the building but the whole state was RED flagged and we could not get a burning permit. The way the winds
have been for the past few months we may never get one and will have to haul it all off to the landfill.
The evergreens at the front of the building have been cut off to ground
level and a large part of the brick wall removed. The bricks have been
saved in case we need them for modifications to the entrance as they
match. If not then they can be used in the back for bench legs or
perhaps a fire place. I am sure we will find a use for them.
With the trees gone we will be able to remove the dirt and the rest of
the bricks to determine the condition of the wall. I am sure it will need some
TLC before painting. Hopefully a good sand blasting will do the job, if not then we many have to replace the bottom four feet or so.
We had an electrical contractor set up but that fell through at the last
moment. However, Dave Johnson and Mike Hedrick knew of another one. We
contacted him and he was willing to fill in on a short notice. He came
to the building to meet with the architect to familiarize himself with
the job. After we get his input we have an Electrical Engineer prepared
to stamp the plan for submission to the city.
There is still a lot of clean-up to do around the building and the
grounds so look for notices at the Lodge for more clean-up days.
(April, 2008)
From Bill Snell– Chairman.
The Phase 1 plan has been locked in. This will cover the bingo/function
room and an ADA toilet. The architect has been given the OK to proceed
with the drawings needed to submit to the city. As soon as the city
approves them they will issue a permit. If all goes well we can begin
to work on the building very shortly. Speaking of work, there is still a lot of clean up to be done on the
property. Trash to dispose of, weeds to be cut, wood that needs cutting
for Bar-B-Que use, etc.. With that in mind I would like to see a work
crew at the new building, 3401 Raymond Reed Blvd. On Saturday the 10th of May, starting time 9:00 AM. We will need a few tools like wood saws, rakes, shovels, brush cutters, etc.. If you have any of these things please bring them along. See you there.
(March, 2008)
From Bill Snell– Chairman.
We fought a hard battle to not hire an architect for the new lodge, but
we lost. To meet the state building codes we must do it. Quotes and
advice from experts has indicated prices as high as the $20,000 plus
region. As meeting with one such person resulted in a beginning quote
of $18,000 with additional add ons that would bring the price to over
$20,000.
The architect recommended by the city gave us a quote of approximately
$9,500 with a 25% discount because of the type of organization we are
and the charitable work we do. There is no way we can beat that price
so we will be going with them. We are meeting with the architect the
first week of April to set things in motion. No, we will not make any
wild prediction about when we could probably move in, there being just
too many variables to deal with at this point.
There are still a lot of cleanups needed on the property. Weekend work schedules will be posted on the white board just inside the Lodge door.
If you are available please show up at the new building on the dates
shown on the board. Many hands will make work easy and fast.
(February, 2008) From Bill Snell– Chairman.
We planned on finishing the rest of the tree pruning Saturday, but the
wind was just too much. It almost blew one of the “larger” workers out of a
tree. However the day was not a total loss. We did a full clean up of the room where the exercise equipment was stored. Ed Mills was able to do some hole filling with his toy tractor.
We are still working on eliminating the need for certified blue prints currently required by the town. As soon as the legal steps are competed we have a local person who will clean out the junk room left by a former tenant.
Watch for posting in the Lodge for the next work day. Join us and be able to say you were part of our new Lodge.
(January, 2008) From Bill Snell, Building Chairman. I am happy to report that we are moving forward with the new Lodge.
Preliminary work with city officials is moving ahead. We have been
talking with building inspectors, planners and others to initiate the
required plan approvals and obtain permits. Right now we are working
with an architect to draw up the plans required by law. These plans are
a requirement in order to have the work permits issued.
First stage will be to create a Bingo room. Followed by the bar and Lodge
room. No final floor plan has been selected as yet. The final plan
must await input from the architect.
There has been a lot of clean up at the building but we have a lot more
to go. Last weekend we had a crew helping Ed Mills clean out his shed
of building materials he has donated. Thanks to Armondo Galvan, Daniel
Galvan, Javier Gallosa, Mike Hedrick, Robert DiHarce, and Ed Mills for
this move on a very cold day. Next phase for the exterior will be a full
clean up of the entire grounds. Watch the White Board at the Lodge for
dates and times. I am sure there are others who would like to say they
helped with the new Lodge. Come on out and have some fun. Might
even have a Bar-B-Que afterwards.
Action has been taken to remove the old tenants. Most of their goods
have been removed. The rest should be out shortly.
To keep up with the progress on the building be sure to attend the Lodge meetings and watch the Lodge newsletter.
(September, 2006) From Dave Johnson PER
The Building Committee, with Lodge approval, has submitted an offer to the City to purchase property in the Industrial Area on Dona Ana Road. The Lodge has asked that the city respond within ten days, which is October 2nd. However, if the issue needs to go to the City Council, then no action is expected before their meeting on October 9th. A Building Committee meeting is scheduled for October 10th at 6:15 pm. These Building Committee meetings are open to any member, and your participation is encouraged.
If we secure the property, then the next step is to come up with viable financing that will pass Grand Lodge scrutiny. Right now we have about $52,000 in the Building Fund. Estimates are that a new Lodge could cost upwards to $200,000.
We have visited with First New Mexico Bank, and have tentatively been told a loan could be obtained. However, some members have expressed concern over the Lodge’s ability to pay back this loan. Another suggestion is that we approach members about long term loans to the Lodge to finance construction. In general, everyone wants a new Lodge, but we must also act financially responsible. We will never get a Building Permit from Grand Lodge is they feel we are putting ourselves in a financially shaky position.
We will need to draw up plans, locate kitchen equipment, decide on heating and cooling systems, and a major expense the bar and refrigeration. All these concerns need to be addressed.
Original plans were to build a 5,000 square foot building. Can we afford this? Do we need to consider downsizing to a 3,000-3,500 square foot building? You input is welcome and important. Next meeting is October 10th.
(June, 2006) From Dave Johnson PER.
The Building Committee is being reshaped again. ER Joe Grove PER has appointed Roger Bladow to take over the chairmanship replacing Mike Rudloff. Rudloff told Grove he didn’t have the time to devote to the project right now.
Two meetings have failed to produce any tangible results due to poor attendance, and in one case lack of a quorum. Even with the obstacles, informal polls among the members will lead to a recommendation at the next meeting that we go ahead and buy property in the Industrial Area on “J” Street. The recommendation would be that we buy three lots at the best possible price, with an option on three additional lots. Each lot is a little over an acre. After the recommendation, the matter will be referred to the Trustees. Since the land will not be over $18,000, we should be able to get the property without going through Grand Lodge channels, and without borrowing any money. We will need to file a request for a building permit before we begin construction on the new Lodge.
Plans call for a metal building to be erected on the property, along with RV facilities, however details are still being worked out.
Your ideas are welcome. Feel free to contact any member of the Building Committee with your concerns.
(May, 2006) The Building Committee, headed up by Mike Rudloff, has been at work checking on financing and looking for a location for a new Lodge home.
Four or five members of the Lodge met with representatives of First New Mexico Bank, and we were informally told that with a mortgage on $100,000 we would be looking at payments under $900 a month, with a balloon payment or refinancing after eight or nine years. With Bingo and bar income, we feel this would be an obligation the Lodge could meet.
We currently have over $40,000 in the Building fund, with another Bingo split at the end of June. That means we need to try to bring the project in at under $150,000.
Of the possibilities being discussed:
The Tapia Road property donated to the Lodge has turned into a white elephant. It is unlikely we will ever be able to get the rezoning we need, and Tapia Road will be closed for airport expansion.
The property near Pit Park, which could prove to be an excellent location, has some problems. The cost is considerably more than other like-size properties. Also, the old Railroad Depot is a school within 400 feet of our property. After checking with state Alcohol officials, in order to move the Club license, we would have to first file a request to move the license (meaning we would have to own the property first). There would then be a hearing before the City Council. If approved, we could move the license, if not we would have unusable property (at least as far as the bar is concerned).
We are also looking at buying property in the Industrial Area. We can obtain the property for much less. All utilities are already in place. We would need to construct a building. The property we are looking at is on “J” Street just past the Road Department, just down the street from the K of C Hall.
We are also looking at other properties, with pre-existing buildings.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 20th at 6:30 pm. While all recommendations will ultimately go to the Lodge floor, your input at this time in welcome and encouraged. Our meetings are open to all members. Contact Mike Rudloff with suggestions or for more information.
(March, 2006) After a long hiatus, the Building Committee, again chaired by Mike Rudloff, will meet this month.
A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11th at 6:15 pm.
It is expected the committee will recommend giving up on our Tapia Road property and start looking for another location. That action after unsuccessful attempts to rezone the residential property as commercial, and the announcement that Tapia Road will be closed for airport runway expansion. Fred Kent has offered to take back the property, paying the Lodge for expenses incurred.
With that in mind, the Lodge is looking at commercial property east of Pit Park. That property offers an excellent location, near the park and the planned movie/bowling alley complex.
It is expected that the trustees and ER will schedule a meeting with our bankers to see about a loan and/or mortgage.
Any action requiring over $25,000 requires a Building Permit from Grand Lodge, which can take up to three months to obtain.
All members of the Building Committee, which, other than the chairman, has not changed in the past year, are urged to attend this important meeting.
Again the meeting is at 6:15 pm on Tuesday, April 11th at the Lodge.
(From ER Dave Johnson July, 2005) For those who are not aware, the Extra Territorial Zoning Authority failed to vote on our request for rezoning our new property east of town at the hearing on July 19th.
A motion was made by Dennis Armijo to allow the rezoning. Rich Holdridge failed to second the motion, and it was proclaimed dead by Chairman Bill Shattuck.
I would like to personally thank State President Ray Smith for being here for us. Your presence was appreciated.
What do we do next?
We need to lobby the members of the Extra Territorial Zoning Authority before our next hearing. They are Mayor Sam Baca, Councilman Bill Shattuck, and County Commissioners Dennis Armijo, Rick Holdridge and Fannie Smyer.
After the Lodge Building Committee meeting on the 28th, the following recommendations will be made:
The Lodge should continue to immediately pursue rezoning. We should have more specific plans drawn up, and have answers to city/county concerns dealing with fire suppression and lighting.
At the recommendation of our new Building Chairman, the following, possibly unpopular recommendation will be made: Since the securing of a loan would depend on the continued success of Bingo as a primary source of income, and participation both by members helping and public support is uncertain, it will be recommended that we continue to put money aside for the building, but hold off actual construction until we have a more sizeable building fund.
The thinking is we have waited this long, Is it worth possibly putting the Lodge in financial jeopardy? We are currently putting between $3-4,000 into the building fund each quarter from Bingo in addition to direct donations from the jar on the bar. If we wait we could build the Lodge without putting ourselves in debt.
These recommendations will be brought up at our August meeting.
(From ER Dave Johnson June, 2005) The future of the Deming Elks Lodge will be determined later this month, and we need everyone's help. Will we be allowed to build our new Lodge, or will we continue in the back two rooms at the DAV? That decision will be left to the Extra Territorial Zoning Authority, who will be considering a rezoning request for our 19 acres off Tapia Road. The property is currently zoned residential, but for construction to begin, the zoning must be changed to commercial.
At our initial hearing in May, about six people personally protested, and the zoning authority was presented with a petition with 30 signatures to deny our request. At that time the hearing was continued. The date for the continuation is July 19th, that's a Tuesday, at 5 pm in the City Council Chambers at the City Municipal Building on South Gold. If we are to convince the authority, which is made up of the three county commissioners and two city councilors, we need to show up in large numbers. We have invited New Mexico State Elks President Ray Smith to also attend. WE NEED YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT! Please make plans now to attend this important meeting. If you know any of the commissioners or councilors, give them a call and let them know you support the rezoning.
Also, if you haven't already, please be sure to sign one of OUR petitions in SUPPORT of rezoning. We already have about 100 names, but the more the better. You do not need to be in the vicinity of the new property, since anyone in Luna County has a right to be heard.
We have two committees working on getting ready for the 19th. The Building Committee is working on a site plan, which was requested at the last hearing, to show where the Lodge and infrastructure will be located in relation to the property boundaries. Also, member and Municipal Judge Ray Baese will be drafting a letter showing the Elks, in their current location, have had no complaints or police calls. We have already secured a letter from one of our neighbors on Maple Street stating that we ARE "good neighbors", and are expecting letters from two others.
The other committee is a "Visitation Committee". They will be making arrangements to visit with the protestors and explain all the good work of the Deming Elks. Most Lodge members feel these people are protesting because they have been misinformed about what the Elks Lodge actually does. As a member, you and I know that 75% of our efforts are for charitable and benevolent purposes, however all those signing the petition see are a bunch of rowdy drunks. We need to make sure this misinformation is corrected. Plans now call for personal visits, along with presenting information on the Elks and our local Lodge. If you can help, please contact Vern Schreiber.
The two committees will hold a joint meeting on Friday, July 15th at 6:30 pm to finalize our strategy for Tuesday's meeting. All members are invited to attend.
(From ER Dave Johnson May, 2005)
Well, we received good news and bad news.
The good news is that after the title search and review by Grand Lodge, we have received a letter from State Sponsor Chuck Williams allowing us to proceed on our property east of town. We have been working on the approval to accept the donation of land since late last year.
Now the bad news. The property is zoned residential and needs to be changed to commercial. A hearing was held before the Extra-territorial Zoning Authority on Monday, May 23rd. What I thought would be a routine hearing turned into a significant protest. About 20% are protesting our request, and we were handed a petition with 30 names. The authority continued the hearing for two months to allow the Elks time to try to change these protestors minds, and come up with more specific information on exactly where the Lodge would be located in relation to the property boundaries, and infrastructure improvements.
A lot of us feel many of these people who are against us don’t really know what the Elks are all about.
We plan to try to meet with these protestors individually, and possibly invite them to our current Lodge for a meal and explain the good work the Elks do in our community. It has also been suggested we invite our current neighbors to belay fears of noise and rowdy conduct.
If you can help with these meetings, please contact the Lodge Secretary.
(from Mike Rudloff- Chairman April, 2005) ER Dave Johnson and I attended the Extra-Territorial Zoning Commission meeting on Monday, April 25th to represent Elk’s Lodge #2799. We are requesting a zoning change on the new property from “Residential” to “Commercial.” The ETZ Commission will recommend to the ETZ Authority, upon notification of the surrounding property owners within a 200’ radius less public easements along with a $200 administrative fee, to grant us the zoning change at the time we acquire a building permit. Environmental concerns were discussed but the Commission members and city staff were reassured the environmental aspect will be addressed when the architectural plans are drawn up and finalized for approval.
Mary Lou Carlos and I hosted a Spaghetti Dinner April 16th with all proceeds going into our building fund. We sold 27 plates for a monetary total of $135.00. Lida Rutto, Pat Johnson, Mary Chiocca and Peggy Howe provided the delicious desserts and served the pasta plates to our patrons with a smile. A BIG “THANK YOU” goes out to these ladies, Mary Lou included, for the devotion you show in making our lodge a better place. I also thank Esquire Manny Carlos for handling the ticket sales. Thanks Manny! We aim to hold a dinner at least once a month with the net proceeds earmarked for the building fund.
We intend to have a building committee meeting sometime in June to discuss construction details and equipment so we will be ready when an architect is hired. The current building committee members are Ed Mills, Richard Hughes, Robert Kirich, Dave Cummings PER, Frank Chiprich, Dave Johnson, Fred Kent and Mary Lou Carlos. If anyone is interested serving on this very important committee, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 (December, 2004) Take a look at the proposed plans for the new Lodge on Tapia Road east of town. The building committee is hopeful construction can begin in the next few months once we have final approved on the land.
The building committee is interested in input from all our members. You can contact: Dave Cummings PER, chairman; Robert Kirch; Mike Rudloff; Ed Mills or Frank Chiprich.
Donations for the new Lodge building are welcome. Contact the Lodge secretary or leave your donations in the jar on the bar. (drawing by Mike Rudloff)
(From Dave Cummings— Chairman November, 2004)
First, I would like to take a moment and thank everyone who helped to retile the back bar-kitchen area. Thanks to Mike Rudloff, Ed Mills and Roger Bladow for taking time on a Sunday to begin the project. Also thanks to the ladies who brought in food. We ran a little short on tile, but now have additional supplies and the remainder of the kitchen and back bar area will be retiled in the near future.
While we are all anxious to get going on the new Lodge, we still need to maintain our current location. The complete tile project should come in at just a little over $200. The funds are coming from the bar account.
On the subject of our new Lodge, by the time you get this newsletter we will have had our first meeting (Tuesday, November 30th at 5 pm).
Mike Rudloff has drawn up plans for a new building which will be much smaller than the original drawings, but still very functional. The building committee, which includes Ed Mills, Mike Rudloff and Bobby Kirich with myself as chairman, will also be discussing how the project can be financed. The future of the Memorial Wall is something that I would like to bring to the membership.
The paperwork for Grand Lodge approval of the land donation should be sent off in the new few days. It has been delayed to obtain necessary financial information from our accountant.
A jar will soon be set out on the bar for donations for the Building Fund. Every nickel and dime helps. However, if you would like to make a larger contribution, those are appreciated even more. Contact the Lodge Secretary to make a donation.
(October, 2004) The Building Committee is regrouping with new membership, and will make suggestions on changes to the initially drafted plans.
With the departure of Dick Salesses, the New Building Committee is headed up by Dave Cummings PER, with members Ed Mills, Mike Rudloff and Bobby Kirich. Cummings also said others have offered to help on the project, but won't be part of the committee itself.
The Committee will be looking over previous drawings for the building and land, and will come up with a new proposal more in line with our needs. The new plan will be considerably less elaborate. Cummings said if we put up a metal building, it is easy to add on to. With that in mind he is recommending a smaller initial building, which means a smaller initial investment.
Anyone with any suggestions is welcome to contact any of the committee members. Cummings said the group will hold their first meeting very soon.
The Lodge was given about 19 acres of land on Tapia Road east of town. While approved by the membership, one more bit of paperwork needs to be filed with Grand Lodge before the donation can officially be accepted. Plans call for a new Lodge building, RV Park and other related facilities to be placed on that land, but with only about $1700 in the Building Fund we have a ways to go.
Cummings said one of the biggest challenges now is to come up with funding. Contributions, financial or even in-kind services, will more than happily be accepted.
|
(July, 2004) In our last issue we emphasized the need for us to complete all the legalities in securing the deed on the land. This month I contemplated starting out with the explanation of “Murphy’s Law”. As we all know Murphy’s Law states, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” The interested parties and governing principals never got together. In fact they did not return from far off places until this past week.
I tend to feel that this is good news rather than bad news because it’s so important to have everything in place with all the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed. Think of it as a bridge builder who has to have his core samples analyzed, his sight planning completed, engineering drawings checked and changed if necessary. All this and much more goes into these projects before the first pile is drilled or brick is laid.
You must be asking yourself what is this article all about and when is he going to get to the facts pertaining to our new Lodge. Well friends and lodge members, I have nothing to report regarding the progress of our new lodge as no progress has been made. Hopefully next month will bring news of forward movement.
Remember Every Elk Can Make a Difference and Every Elk Should Try.
(May, 2004) The dictionary defines “coordination” in a number of ways. Our immediate problem in coordination is that of the people who have to sign off on the land.
The survey of the land has been done and delivered to the lawyer’s office. We must realize that vacations will take their toll on the coordinating of the people necessary to get the document made up.
We then have to present it on the floor and give ten days notice to the membership. To complicate matters even further, we are only having one meeting a month in July and August.
We were hoping to have the entrance road prepared and at least a few of the ten RV pads completed by the first of October. Perhaps that is a little ambitious. Who know maybe we will get lucky.
In any case we plan to contact the Carmichael Elks Lodge (the lodge that does the RV guide) and inform them of our plans. I’m not sure how often they update their books but I think it’s not too often. It’s always better to give them advanced notice because we could always let the RVers dry camp even while construction is being completed. I have found that traveling Elks love to check out new facilities because they are inquisitive and will spread the good word to others in their travels.
Always Remember
Every Elks Can Make a Difference and Every Elk Should Try.
(April, 2004) The spring season awakens the urge to travel for Eddie the Elk. I was fortunate to be able to enjoy a short trip to California last month, and I apologize, after the fact, for missing you last month. It was nice to have the opportunity to visit with friends in Salinas and San Jose, California. Let’s bring you up to date on our new Lodge.
Preliminary plans have been drawn up so that we might get an idea as to the size and shape of the things we want or need. “Must haves” are a Lodge meeting room, handicapped bathrooms, business office, banquet hall that holds at least 200 people, a bar, a patio, and most of all, a kitchen.
The preliminary plan was presented to the Board of Trustees on Wednesday, April 21st. Their response was favorable. A surveyor has been contacted. His written plans will be completed by Friday, April 30th.
The overall size is 3660 square feet. It’s safe to say that with today’s building costs, we are looking at $90 per square foot price. If you have done the math and not fallen off your chair yet, it’s going to be in the vicinity of $303,000. At this point, I won’t go into the cost of a commercial stainless kitchen, or the coolers in the bar area, etc..
Let’s pass on that and look at the
bright side of this picture. All we have to do is convince the bank that we can afford to pay the mortgage on a monthly basis.
Thinking Positively:
We own the land.
We are going to start off with 10 RV pads with full hookups for our traveling Elks.
Revenue from the sale of “Recognition Plaques” is still coming in.
We will be releasing this information to the local community by mid July.
We will launch a membership drive. The limited verbal tests in this regard are favorable.
We plan to increase our membership to 175 members (we are now at 122).
With all of these positives in mind, we will meet our goal.
Do we need your help? You bet your life we do! Always keep in mind,
Every Elks Can Make a Difference and Every Elk Should Try.
(February, 2004) Well, as the saying goes, “There is a God after all.” He comes to our Lodge in the name of Brother Fred Kent and his wife Marleen. These great people donated 18.3 acres of their land here in Deming for the purpose of constructing our new Lodge. This information was presented to the entire Lodge at our meeting on Thursday the 19th of February, 2004.
The announcement was graciously accepted by all in attendance and it has put new spark into the building committee.
One of our lady Elks said “will the women have input in the planning of our new Lodge?” All I could say is “you betcha!” Many other positive comments such as, “I can support this plan” and “We are going to have our own new Lodge!” One 74 year old member offered to help us build it. The enthusiasm was tremendous and I only wish that all of you could have been in attendance.
We will be changing our efforts from repairing and renovating an old building to planning and constructing a new facility that will best serve our members.
We will be forming a new building construction committee that will oversee the design and planning which will also include such things as RV parking, work out area, family entertainment center, and other suggestions presented by the membership.
When this news is published in our local newspaper along with the architectural renderings we will commence a membership drive. Additional funding for such an endeavor will be based on three other sources: Plaque Donations, Monday Night Bingo, weekend dinners and increased bar patronage. Eventually we will have the RV parking revenues. With your financial support we will have our new Lodge and a 30 year mortgage.
(Editor’s Note: The new property is located on the east side of Tapia Rd. (Cattle Sales Rd.) one mile south of the junction with the Old Las Cruces Highway.) Photo shows view looking east from new property.
Every Elk Can Make a Difference and Every Elk Should Try.
(January, 2004) I would like to wish you a very happy and healthy New Year. When we reflect on our many accomplishments in 2003, such as our recognition wall, the many Elks that have purchased plaques, the plumbing and grading, the plans and renditions produced, we feel proud. Congratulations to all that have participated in this building renovation project. But as Al Jolson used to say “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!” 2004 will be the year of accomplishments for our building phases.
The word “excitement” is the term to use in our renovation projects and I’ll tell you why. I have just had a meeting with two of our trustees who have assured me that this is the time to “roll” as far as projects are concerned. They have not only given their monetary support, but also offered their physical support with motivation and construction of our on-going projects. What this all means is that we will be running three projects at the same time. The entrance hall, the in ground plumbing for “Eddie’s Corner” and the enlarged new ladies room. This will also include the gutting of the present (former) men's room and framing the enlarged (new) ladies room.
We fully realize that our members will be inconvenienced while the work is being completed, but that is to be
expected. All I can say is to bear with
us and we thank you for your confidence, patience and understanding.
Another important point that has been brought to my attention, that I forgot to mention in last month’s Eddie the Elk column, is the “Snow Birds” want to know how to fill out their checks to get their names on the “Snow Bird Recognition Plaque”.
Pay to: BPOE Lodge #2799
Amount: $100
Memo: Acct #156 Building Fund
(Don’t forget to sign it)
Every Elk Can Make a Difference and Every Elk should Try.
(December, 2003) This is the time of year that we should sit down and reflect the things we accomplished this year. The Lodge has been decorated for Christmas thanks to JoAnn Olsen and Mary Chiocca, and it looks beautiful. Our Recognition Wall has lights around the frame and it’s also highlighted by three flood lights. We now have eight plaques sold and we are keeping up with the goal of two plaques sold each month. The snowbirds are back in their winter nests and we are looking forward to the new year 2004.
One of our snowbirds recently called me aside and said, “Eddie, there are a number of us that would love to see our names up on the Recognition Wall, but we find it difficult to come up with the $500 for a plaque”.
We took this request very seriously and came up with a great idea. Why not have a SNOWBIRD PLAQUE. It will be three times larger than our regular plaque and it will contain fifteen engraved names. Each name or line will cost $100 and it will give everyone a chance to be recognized.
The kick off for this Snowbird Campaign starts on January 2nd.
As you can see by the picture, we are getting help from Jill Porter who is holding the large black marble plaque. Jill is associated with our Elks brother Jimmy Enriquez, who is our stock broker in town.
They both are very interested in our Club and are all for promoting our building renovation program.
We want to thank our snowbirds for this idea and especially for their help and contributions in the past. Who knows, we might have to start the second SNOWBIRD plaque soon.
Always keep in mind..
Every Elk can make a Difference and Every Elk should Try.
(November, 2003) This is the sixth "Eddie the Elks says" column. If you haven't read all of them, or if you wuld like to review them, just go to www.demingelks.org and you will find them on our new website. If you haven't checked it out yet, you're really missing the best of the Deming Elks News.
In the last column we mentioned that we were going to try to get our sidewalk and parking lot done. Unfortunately the opportunity for that won't come until next summer.
We have other projects to devote our time and efforts to. Number 1 is the new Ladies Room. We are going to change the location of the lady's room to where the men's room was. The reason for this change is in phase five (5) we will be moving the present bar to another room that will also be built in phase five (5).
I can tell you that Handicap Bathrooms don't come cheap but when you consider that our snowbird members are returning or have returned we are counting on them to share some of this burden. Besides that, the weather is turning a little colder and can devote our time and efforts to the inside and postpone the outside courtyard and patio to the spring of 2004. As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't build in a day", and we are flexible. Let's show you a drawing of the proposed ladies room. I think it's very nice and hope you will too.
I like the sitting room included in the line drawing. We are planning on a small TV in the corner of that area and a lamp and phone on the table between the two chairs. Don't ask me why we provide a sitting room in a bathroom but I'm sure it's a "girl thing" and I'm not supposed to know about that.
As you can see, the overall size of this room will be 14.5 feet in length and 11.3 feet in width. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not going to shock you with the price but anything you can do to help us raise the money for this project will be most appreciated.
Remember, Every Elk can make a Difference and Every Elks should Try.
 (October, 2003) This month we have good news and bad news for our members. Let's give you the bad news first. Our Lodge Secretary has been ill for the past two months and the two people that help her get the monthly bulletin out have also been experiencing illness. It is for this reason that our Lodge Bulletin has not been going out. But here's the good news. We now have our own Deming Elks Website, and you (that own or have access to a computer) can now type www.demingelks.org, and read the going ons. It's that great. We realize that all of you might not own their own computer but I'm sure that you have a friend or relative that could do it for you. For the time being we have to use this media until all of our people are back on their feet again, thanks for your understanding in this matter.
Our last Eddie the Elk Column covered a number of things but emphasized our Recognition Wall and by the way you can see the pictures of all of the things that we have been writing about by addressing our website, www.demingelks.org, and voila, there it is.
This month we have focused our attention on putting in new plumbing outside before we grade and pour our patio. The majority of the needed plumbing has been installed but we have not formed the expansion of our two new restrooms but this plumbing still remains to be done. Unfortunately we had to fix the gas line into the building which was unexpected but when ever you touch something on an 80 year old building you run into other areas that need fixing.
If we don't run out of money and as the saying goes "the creek don't rise" we plan to remove the old broken up sidewalk and replace it with a new one and at the same time pave the dirt parking area where the cars are parked out front. Yes, you guessed it, we must have two handicapped parking spaces with the ramps up to our new sidewalk.
As we have discussed before, we are trying to fund this project with member donations in the form of the engraved black marble plaques that you can see on our Recognition Wall. Our goal is to sell two plaques a month and so far we have accomplished this task. But WE really need YOUR help. As of this date, we have only sold the $500 plaques, but the smaller $250 plaque might be just the thing for you. Don't forget we can put it on a time payment plan and make it easier for you and by doing this you have reserved your preferred place on our Wall.
Every Elk can make a difference, and every Elk should try.
(September, 2003)
Has it been amonth since we last talked? It is said that time flys when you're having fun. We want you to know that our improvement project is right on target. First the framed Recognition Wall has been completed and temporily secured to the wall inside the Lodge and it is a "Thing of Beauty". The over head lights will be installed before you read this article.
Brother lodge member Ethan Holly has been installing the engraved palques with a great deal of care and attention. We have taken orders for two additional plaques. The most current plaques are featured in our display case along with a gift box showing the various sizes and their cost. The second item that I would like to cover is our new time Payment Plan that allows our members to reserve their favorite space on the Recognition Wall but gives them the opportunity to pay for their plaque in a leisurely fashion. The giving season is rapidly approaching and all insterested parties should contact Eddie the Elk at the Club or if you prefer more information, contact me at home (505) 544-0524.
We have received three bids on the wall that surrounds our court yard area. We are leading toward the proposal for a thirteen inch hand made stone wall over the cinder block/ stuccoed wall. It's more expensive but there is no comparison when you see the finished product. The grading of the entire area will take place in the first half of September and will probably involve the removal of the four foot existing wall. It's old and unsightly and we just don't feel that it's sturdy enought to support the weight of the three foot extension. We might also be side-tracked a little because the plumbing for the new bathrooms. It has to be done while the outside grading is in progress.
If any of you have suggestions or recommendations on this Phase One Project please contact Eddie the Elk. We need your ideas "Now Not Later".
(August, 2003) We have received the go ahead from our members, the DAV and our bank. Phase one of our building improvement plan will commence in August. Our press release will be forthcoming in the next ten days. We very much want to inform the Deming community of our Expansion Plans.
Our Recognition Wall has been made and the making of the frame around this 4' by 8' beauty has been awarded to the best cabinet maker in town. As you enter the Secured Courtyard Entrance Area the Change Pool will be on the left and the Recognition Wall will be located above the pool. Temporily we are displaying the Wall inside the Club. As soon as the construction of the new six foot privacy wall, canopied patio area Bocci Ball Court and Eddies Food Corner is complete we will move the "Recognition Wall" and install it outside.
Let's discuss the purpose of the "Recognition Wall". The Wall has been divided into 121 scribed sections that will accept the black (Indian Marble) 4" by 8" plaques. On a smaller scale it would remind you of the Vietnam Memorial in DC.. The photo does not do it justice.
We have already placed orders with our engraver for six plaques. The donation for the 4" by 8" is $500, and the 4" by 4" is $300. As you can see they are presented in the presentation box and each donor's picture is taken and placed in the 17" by 15" Recognition Binder. A short write up will be placed next to each picture.
Our expansion plan/ building fund project is going forward in at least six phases and we count on our membership and their friends to support this cause. Our theme for this program is..
Every Elk can make a difference, and every Elk should try.
Home/ Officers/ Calendar/ News/ Building Project/ Visiting Elks/ Contact Lodge/ Elks USA/ City of Deming
Visit the NM Elks Association site at www.nmelks.org
Visit the National BPOE site at www.elks.org
Designed by Dave Johnson/dave@swnm.com Revised 2:34 PM 10/18/2003
|
