Restoration of old Las Cruces fire truck could soon begin

Oct. 03--LAS CRUCES -- "Lizzy," a mainstay at Klein Park for decades, is going to get a $35,000 makeover. When that happens is still being worked out.

"Lizzy" is a 1930 American LaFrance fire truck believed to be the city's first pumper fire engine.

"Nobody really knows where the truck got her name," said city councilor Miguel Silva, whose council district includes Klein Park, where the retired engine was parked for more than 40 years. "The people who went to the park were probably the ones to give the truck her name."

For a little more than a year city officials have been trying to decide what to do with the relic. Some decisions have been made ast to what becomes of the old gal. Although the vintage fire truck is considered an icon of the Mesquite Historic District -- because it was in Klein Park for so long -- it won't be going back there. Instead, Lizzy will be cosmetically restored and will be put on display at the city's main fire station, 200 W. Picacho Ave.

"It's kind of sad it won't be coming 'home,'" said Sally Triste, whose family has lived near Klein Park for more than 60 years. "I played on the truck, with my cousins and friends, when I was a little girl. We loved that truck. ...Somehow, the neighborhood just hasn't been the same since it left."

But Silva said the decision to relocate the old fire truck was an easy one to make.

"There could be some serious liability issues for the city," Silva said. "Our risk management director told us when the truck was removed (from Klein Park) there were a lot of spider webs underneath the truck. It kind of surprised us; nobody thought about looking under the truck and it got us thinking about a long list of liabilities that could be possible if Lizzy was moved back to the park."

The fire truck was removed from Klein Park in May 2013 and is being stored at the city's Fleet Service maintenance yard. A few months ago, City Council approved a resolution to allocate $35,000 to restore Lizzy's exterior. But that won't be enough money to get her running again.

The money to restore Lizzy's exterior will come from some of proceeds the city received when it sold the former Club Fusion teen club two years ago, and from other discretionary city funds.

Las Cruces Fire Chief Travis Brown said city officials are hopeful a Las Cruces company can refurbish the old fire truck.

"We're waiting on some final quotes," Brown said. "We don't know yet if any of the local experts, local companies, are going to be able to restore the old fire truck for the amount that has been budgeted. If it can't be done for that amount we then might have to go through a formal bid process to get the work done."

If Lizzy's restoration can be done by local experts within the $35,000 that has been budgeted, Brown said the work could begin in a few weeks.

"Our goal is to have it done by the end of the city's fiscal year (on June 30, 2015)," Brown said.

Even though Lizzy won't be going back to Klein Park, her longtime presence there will be recognized. Silva said the master plan for Klein Park is being revised, and the fire truck's significance will be acknowledged.

"There are plans for some kind of memorial, a plaque or something, that can be put on display at Klein Park," Silva said. "It would probably include some kind of history about the fire truck, all the years of service it provided to the city and how much it has meant to people when it was at Klein Park.

Steve Ramirez can be reached at 575-541-5452.

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