The Cincinnati Post
Saturday, May 13, 1989

Taps play for Fort Scott

Fernald fears close 67-year-old camp

By David Wecker
Post staff reporter

Fort Scott Camp in Crosby Township has been the backdrop for much of Ed 
Shannon's life.

He was 8 years old when he attended his first summer camp there. He took 
his first job as a counselor there when he was 16. He met his Wife-to-be, 
Pam, in the summer of '71, when they were both working as counselors. 

For 13 years now, he and Pam have lived on the grounds of the 253-acre 
camp while he worked as Fort Scott's caretaker. It has been home to Ed 
and Pam and their six children. In the back of his mind, he always 
imagined he'd retire there.

Today, however, Fort Scott's 67-year history is coming to an end. The 
camp will be open for former staff and campers for "A Time of 
Thanksgiving and Reflection" from 2 to 7 p.m. today, with a Mass of 
Thanksgiving scheduled for 4 p.m. at St. Victory Chapel. And at 6:45 
p.m., the flag will be lowered for the final time.

And after everyone else has gone home Shannon will begin boarding up the 
windows on the chapel.

From a practical point of view, Fort Scott Camp is a casualty of the 
Fernald uranium processing plant, located just two miles away. The 
Archdiocese of Cincinnati which owns Fort Scott, announced last month the 
camp would close permanently because of environmental safety concerns.

But from Ed Shannon's point of view, it's a sorrowful day indeed. 

"I spent most of my good working years taking care of this place," said 
Shannon who is 39. "It's not like I'm losing a regular job. I'm losing a 
whole lifestyle. I'm losing a home. The plan is to fill in the pools, 
tear down the lodges and cabins. To erase any memory of the place. 
I just wish it didn't have to happen."

Shannon isn't the only one. The Archdiocese has come under some criticism 
for the way it handled the decision to close the camp.

Debbie Bonekamp -- who was one of the more than 150,000 campers to pass 
through the Fort Scott gates since the camp opened in 1922 -- said the 
Fort Scott Camp Advisory Board had suspended operations at the camp just 
for the summer because of dwindling enrollment, hoping that enrollment 
might increase the following summer.

"We felt there was no danger with the environment," said Ms. Bonekamp, a 
member of the advisory board.

"We'd had the water and soil tested each year (for uranium contamination), 
and it was always fine. But we felt that financially, it could be a strain 
with the impact of Fernald to get campers out there, at least for this 
summer."

But then, she said, the Archdiocese decided to close the camp altogether.

"I've always believed compassion, sensitivity and a concern for people 
should be reflected in any decision by the church," Ms. Bonekamp said.

"But the decision with the camp was very cold and businesslike."

Nonetheless, the decision has been made. Shannon has until the end of 
June to find another job, maybe something in maintenance or construction. 
Still there is a sense of frustration that the neighboring uranium 
processing plant has cast such a long shadow.

"I don't feel threatened living here," said Mrs. Shannon. "If they could 
prove there was something wrong, some kind of health hazard, I could see 
closing the gates. I'd be the first to leave. 

"But you can go anywhere and find something to worry about."