10/27/2009 4:16:00 PM Camp Verde's assistance to fort may be tied to changes
File photo
Joe Butner, colonel of the Camp Verde Cavalry says he wants to see the elimination of State Park's restrictions on such accessories as yellow bandanas, along with other policies that have prevented the fort from living up to its potential, written into any agreement that involves the Town of Camp Verde providing financial support for the operations of Fort Verde.
CAMP VERDE - With the ink still drying on an interim agreement between the Town of Camp Verde and Arizona State Parks, discussions have begun on an arrangement that will keep Fort Verde open for the long term.
Faced with budget cuts, Arizona State Parks is seeking assistance from wherever they can find it. Last Wednesday the Camp Verde Town Council voted to provide $16,000 toward the fort's expenses so the park can remain open until Jan 1, 2010.
That same afternoon, before the council met, Town Manager Mike Scannell conducted a meeting between representatives of Arizona State Parks, the Camp Verde Cavalry, Camp Verde Historical Society and some volunteers.
The objective was to address community concerns over how the fort is operated, so those concerns can be addressed a part of a long-term agreement.
Prior to the fort becoming a state park, the Camp Verde Historical Society's predecessor, the Fort Verde Museum Association, owned and operated the property.
The museum association was assisted by other community organization including the Camp Verde Improvement Association, which created the museum association, and the Camp Verde Cavalry.
Almost from the moment Fort Verde became a state park in 1970, problems arose between the community and the state agency. Some of those problems have only gotten worse over the years.
Among the more publicized rifts was the one between State Parks and the Camp Verde Cavalry.
The Camp Verde Cavalry was a mainstay at fort events before it was a state park. Members of the cavalry also assisted in the preservation, restoration and operation of the Fort Verde Museum.
However, because the cavalry wore yellow bandanas, an accessory deemed to be historically incorrect, they were dismissed from the parade grounds.
State Parks guidelines for re-enactors require they be in "historical dress appropriate for the period," when attending events at the fort.
At last Wednesday's meeting, Cavalry Col. Joe Butner insisted that a long-term agreement should be designed to fulfill the fort's potential as a tourist draw and include a clause that will put an end to the squabble over the cavalry's use of yellow neckerchiefs.
According to Scannell, the state's need for assistance is an opportunity to address the cavalry's concerns as well as any others that have been festering over the years.
"It's a risk/reward question for State Parks," Scannell says. "Hopefully, rational minds can see their way clear here. I would like to see some agreement so we can make Fort Verde something that works for everyone."
Scannell says his intention is to record the community's concerns and possible solutions, then to schedule another a meeting between State Parks representatives.
