Construction Starts on New Mess Hall at Camp Sylvester: Completion Date Expected for September 2008
From left to right Stanislaus County Farm Bureau (SCFB) Director Tom Ulm, Camp Sylvester Communications Manager, Irene Ulm, SCFB Executive Director, Wayne Zipser, SCFB President Mich Etchebarne, and Huff Construction Project Manager Jim Bodine, pose for a picture at the Camp Sylvester mess hall construction site on July 18. Photo by Kristin Chiara-Platts.
By Kristin Chiara-Platts, (Farm News Reporter/Editor)
Construction has finally begun on Camp Sylvester’s new mess hall. The project, which is being handled by Modesto construction company Huff, takes Camp Sylvester one step closer to the culmination of what can be described as nothing short of a tumultuous year and a half of fundraising, planning and waiting, on behalf of many.
Since the original hall was left in ruins after high winds toppled a 130-foot fir tree on to back in December of 2006, the many youth organizations that depended on Chance Hall for their daily meals have had to depend on a portable kitchen.
Founded in 1927 in Pinecrest, and named for Henry Sylvester, a former Stanislaus County 4-H Youth Advisor, Camp Sylvester is what many have referred to as “Pinecrest’s best kept secret”. Stanislaus County Farm Bureau took over the non-profit camp in 1946, building permanent facilities onsite where once only pitch tents stood, making camp an official ‘retreat’ in the wilderness.
Today, campers from youth organizations around the area including 4-H clubs, FFA, and Girl and Boy Scout groups use the camp to get closer to nature and form life long memories.
Decisions to be made
Getting to the point of an official groundbreaking on the new mess hall has been no easy feat, as many struggles ensued after the incident with the tree.
A variety of options for the camp’s future had to be looked at by members of the Camp Sylvester committee.
“The camp committee was critical in things like evaluating the past financial aspects of camp and what will be viable for the future,” said Stanislaus County Farm Bureau President, Mich Etchebarne. “They each played a role in guaranteeing the future needs for Camp Sylvester’s long term success.”
Downsizing the number of campers who could attend the camp and seeking out partnerships with the likes of Dodge Ridge Ski Resort and the UC Berkeley Alumni Association were both options discussed. Also on the table, total liquidation and selling the camp altogether. But, as Etchebarne put it, ‘Who’d buy a horse with a broken leg?’
In the end, it was decided that the camp was worth the effort to save, and a new mess hall would be built. The only matter then was getting it done.
“I’m very, very thankful that the Farm Bureau did end up making this happen,” said Camp Sylvester Communications Manager, Irene Ulm. “Camp Sylvester never would have been the same if we had gone with one of the other options. I’m just so glad that everyone is finally coming together and realizing what a wonderful place Camp Sylvester really is for so many kids.”
Finding support
After the decision was made to go ahead with the construction of the new hall, the race was on for a way to raise funds for the project. A significant amount of money was needed to add to what insurance would not cover, a contractor had to be found, and all had to be finalized in time to renew the camp’s permit with the forest service.
A bright light was shone on the project earlier this year when Huff Construction signed on to the project, according to Etchebarne, and with the generous help from Foster Farms who loaned the camp its current portable kitchen, it seemed that things were on their way to getting back to normal.
“The generosity of Foster Farms allowed us to essentially have the camp back this summer,” said Etchebarne.
Noteworthy donors, some of which include Stanislaus County Farm Bureau (SCFB), The Lyon’s Family, Stanislaus Farm Supply, and a generous anonymous donor, paired with two “Save Camp Sylvester” fundraisers, have all greatly contributed in offsetting the cost of the project.
Countdown to completion
With an expected September 2008 completion, the hall should be ready for groups to use just in time for winter sessions.
That’s good news for campers who were forced to look elsewhere for a camp experience last year while Sylvester was closed to the public, according to Ulm.
“A lot of the campers that I did talk to said they were very pleased to be coming back to camp, because the other places either weren’t as nice or as user friendly,” she said.
She also added that Camp Sylvester is unique compared to other camps because of its convenience factor.
“We are so close to so much, between being close to Dodge Ridge, which is three miles up the hill, and Pinecrest Lake which is a half mile walking distance from camp,” she said. “They had to drive from these other camps a good distance to do things like canoeing. So, many of these groups have said that they are looking forward to coming back next spring and summer when the new building is ready.”
One perk on the horizon for the new Chance Hall will be a more accommodating atmosphere for all to use, according to Etchebarne.
“The old facility played an important role in the lives of so many campers for so long, but the new facility will accommodate an even broader spectrum of people,” said Etchebarne. “The new hall, as well as other aspects of camp will be updated to be more accommodating to those with special needs, he added. “If the camp was to continue, we needed to make it meet the needs of more groups.”
And now that the groundbreaking is finally taking place, uncertainties for the future are slowly dwindling away.
“It’s been difficult from the beginning, not knowing the complexity and overall involvement of keeping the camp going, but we all have a true knowledge of what’s been going on up there with full appreciation and respect,” added Etchebarne. “We never lost sight or focus on what this was going to be, and what we needed to do to get the camp fixed. This was a horse with a broken leg, and maybe now this horse will be ready to run.”
