$120,000 fund drive for Camp Putnam building.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Bradford L. Miner

NEW BRAINTREE - Todd D. Stewart, director of Camp Putnam, understands the value of recycling.

For nearly 750 campers this past summer, recycling figured prominently in the popular arts and crafts program, as it has for years.

But even recycled items have a finite life, and Mr. Stewart said that's the case for the camp's arts and crafts building.

"When these two portable classrooms arrived at camp back in 1966, they had already reached the end of their useful life for the Worcester school system," Mr. Stewart said.

The two buildings were joined together and put on a foundation across from the camp dining hall, where they've been an integral part of camp life ever since, the camp director said.

But change is coming.

"We're starting to see signs, where the two pieces were joined together, that we're nearing the end of the useful life of the building. That's why our plan is to have one more summer's use, and then we'll demolish it," Mr. Stewart said.

A capital campaign is under way to raise the $120,000 estimated as the cost needed to replace the building on the existing foundation.

As in the past when work needed to be done to improve camp facilities, Mr. Stewart said, cash donations are only part of the equation.

"Once again we'll call on our friends and neighbors with a variety of building skills to help us build a new arts and crafts building.

"To further its summer use, the new building will have a...