A few posts ago passed along information pertaining to the selling of Spruce Hill. Great news! The site has been saved. The following update is from Highlands Sanctuary.
Spruce Hill News!
Dearest Friends, There has been a fantastic turn of events! We are happy to report that we made an offer to purchase Spruce Hill earlier this week and our contract was accepted — just one day before the auction! Removing Spruce Hill from the auction block was a massive relief. We are now securely in contract to purchase Spruce Hill at the selling price of $612,000, which is exactly what we anticipated. Though we still have significant funds to raise, ideally before our closing date on July 16, 2007, this is indeed celebratory news.
We have raised in cash over $215,000 in just five weeks, which is quite an accomplishment for such a short period of time. However, since this is about 1/3 of the funds we need, we are still actively fund-raising and will be doing so until we have the property paid in full. Please pass the word to others about the need to continue to focus on paying for Spruce Hill, and thereby help us keep the project alive in everyone’s minds.
If you have previously made a pledge for Spruce Hill, please send it in as soon as possible, since we have budgeted your dollars as part of our down payment. Checks should be made out to Wilderness East and sent in care of the: Highlands Nature Sanctuary, Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, 7629 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 45612. If you have any questions on financial giving, please give Larry Henry a call at 937-365-1600.
Thank you everyone, for all you have done. It is an honor to have been a part of of the campaign to preserve Spruce Hill. Actually, so many people are celebrating the good news that Spruce Hill is now securely in contract, that it is uncanny how much it resembles the victory after a political campaign. …Except for one big difference. In a political campaign, winning is oft short-lived, whereas saving Spruce Hill elicits a delicious feeling of eternity.
On behalf of the Henslow’s sparrows, the dwarf larkspurs, the coyotes, the puttyroot orchids, the fields of blackberries flowers, the yellow-breasted chats, the scarlet tanagers, the strong young red oaks growing on the steep slopes that soar above scenic Paint Creek…..and the buried stories of our land’s ancestors……..we say, “thank you, all.”
We will write you in a few weeks with more news, including dates of upcoming hikes and tours of Spruce Hill. Blessings to all who have helped us get this far, helping in such a wide diversity of ways. Special thanks to all of our donors, and to those who have generously pledged us no-interest one-year loans — essentially bringing us a gift of time. Thanks to those who spent hours on the computer finding like-minded people across the country to spread the word about Spruce Hill’s plight and the opportunity to save it. Also immense thanks to The Archeological Conservancy who has agreed to hold the interim mortgage and payments while we continue to raise funds. It takes a lot of partners to save a site of this much prominence!
We can’t stop now! Onward. Your help and creative ideas continue to be deeply encouraged and welcomed.
Sincerely,
Nancy Stranahan & Larry Henry
Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, Headquarters: Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 7629 Cave Rd., Bainbridge, OH 45612
937-365-1600
www.highlandssanctuary.org
Our webpage, www.highlandssanctuary.org/Hopewell/sprucehill.htm has basic information on Spruce Hill with links to a donation form, and deep information.
