A Sawmill Community Victory ! Ponderosa Products Gone

As the Beatles said, "It was 20 years ago today. " It was about 20 years ago that Max Ramirez and his wife Rita woke up in their Sawmill neighborhood home and realized that overnight a coating of dust and soot had covered them from head to toe. The source of the dirt and pollution was traced to the Ponderosa Products particle board factory. From that point until now marked a hard not to mention dirty struggle to free the land from corporate pollution and reclaim their formerly clean and safe neighborhood.

Today at the Ponderosa Product site 150 people, many of whom took part in the neighborhood struggle, came together to watch the beginning of the demolition of the former Ponderosa Products factory and to honor Max Ramirez whose organizing efforts have achieved their final goal. Max describes the struggle. Click to Hear  ramirez1.mp3 .

The story is a tribute to the courage, wisdom and persistence of neighborhood activists. Debbie O'Malley, currently Albuquerque City Council President, was one of the first to become active in the effort and as she puts it, that marked the beginning of her deep involvement in civic affairs.   Later she became the first leader of the Sawmill Community Land Trust, often acknowledged as New Mexico's leader in affordable housing. As Councilor O'Malley puts it, Click to Hear  omalley1.mp3  .

Today marks the launching of the project that will be built on the old Ponderosa site.  After several years cleaning up pollution at the site, it is now possible to go forward together with PacifiCap Properties to develop the mixed use plan for the site which includes housing, shops and even a microbrewery. Connie Chavez, current Executive Director of Sawmill Community Land Trust, describes the excitement about the plan. Click to Hear  chavezc1.mp3 .

The crowd cheered as the demolition began. See the 'beast' begin to destroy the site.

Watch as the demolition begins!

Click To Play

Comments

[Tony S]

I worked at Ponderosa for over 22 years. It was a facility built in a different time, and we did try to transition into a better community player. That became part of our company statement.
To act like this is a victory...well, it probably is for some. Duke city lumber was there from the early 1900's, and PPI was actually a recycler of their waste...and we became a recycler of all kinds of wood waste and wood products that would have otherwise gone into landfills. We were no angels with pollution, but we did try to do better with the resources we had available. No one got rich....this was no BIG corporation...it was a small locally owned company who employed local people. But I know it was a nuisance for the neghborhood. I am saddened to see it portrayed as some big evil entity. Perhaps it was to some.
So don't forget in your victory dance that you are dancing on honest people who worked hard, and did what they had to to survive, and try to get along with all parties. But the neighborhood wanted us gone. They are NOT the reason it is gone, but they might as well take the credit. Seems fitting for them. I am glad some one is happy, and I know it will be better for the area.