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I suppose we can hope that the repeated e-mails and phone calls many of the mountain residents (myself included) sent to St. Sophia Cathedral spurred this quick decision.

It is also great to see that St. Sophia Cathedral is employing the services of a mountain business for the demolition of those buildings.

Finally!

Woot!

So much for all the people that said e-mails and "whining" wouldn't accomplish anything!

Yeah........I e-mailed them also.....it's about time they addressed that camp, I've complained to the Sheriff's Dept. several times after seeing some real freaky people milling around down in there......

So much for all the people that said e-mails and "whining" wouldn't accomplish anything!

And yet, in the middle of fire season, it still stands.

Many of these "non-profit" organizations operate as if they had an excuse not to behave like a real business, and drag their feet ad infinitum hiding behind their tax-exempt and "altruistic" causes as a thinly veiled reason why they haven't performed.

Remember, it was their mismanagement of that complex that caused the deaths in the first place. They get no sympathy points from me in that area.

Stand by for the next excuse: "Well, it's wintertime, and the fire danger is low"

I remember having a rather long thread discussing contacting the people who own St. Sophia's camp some time back. We talked about how they needed to do something about the buildings and grafitti there. I remember that several of us wrote letters to them asking them to be good neighbors and take care of their responsibilities by cleaning it up and keeping squaters out.
I am very happy to say that, shortly after they recieved our calls and emails, the posted a guard to watch the property. They hired a contractor to do the demolition work. Today, as I was coming up Old Waterman, they were actively involved in buldozing a road up to the camp and hauling away debris.

I think that they have demonstrated good faith at this point, and, since we were writing them emails encouraging them to take this direction, and they have, we should also tak this opportunity to write some heart felt emails thanking them for taking action. It seems like the fair thing to do. I am writing them now.

Here is a link to their Contact Us page of their website for those who would like to do the fair thing.

http://www.saintsophiacamp.org/about/contact_us.htm

Awesome Aaron.

So many times we are quick to criticize but slow to praise.

My point exactly Sabro!!

Here is the email I just sent:

Dear Owners of St. Sophia's Camp,
Some time back, you recieved a number of emails from members of the mountain communities in proximity to your camp in Old Waterman Canyon. We asked you to do the right thing and protect the property from squatters and clean up the abandoned buildings. I was one of those people who requested that you accomplish this as a sign of your good will toward the community. I want to say that I appreciate your response to our requests. It was prompt and effective. You posted guards there day and night, (no doubt at large expense), you hired a contractor and I am pleased to see, as I came up the canyon this afternoon that they are actively bulldozing an access road and clearing the debris.

I think it is incumbant on us, after we ask our neighbors to do the right thing by us, and you actually do the right thing, that we should express our thanks and appreciation for your actions. You have proven to me that you get our community and are aware of and concerned with what concerns us. This is the heart of neighborliness and I willingly and whole heartedly support you as a neighbor and as a contributing member of our community.

If you need anything from me, feel free to let me know. That's what we do for neighbors.

Much thanks and appreciation.

Sincerly,
Aaron Creighton
Crestline

Because the property was tied up in a lawsuit that left St. Sophia unable to touch it, the real impetus, of course, was not any action by any of you -- it was the fire.

That may or may not be, but they still deserve thanks for taking the situation seriously and doing the right thing, whatever the impetus.