By Pam Willison
Owen Sowerwine Fall Work Day was a chilly, sunny, and beautiful fall morning and 14 hardy volunteers rose to the challenges of the day. Eleven people replaced the two bridges and three people blasted buckthorn. In addition, on Friday morning five people did bridge demolition and site prep work so the Saturday construction crew could get started right away.
The bridge crew started by carrying building materials to both work sites. Then construction was started on the By-Pass bridge, and once the basic plan was clear, they split into two crews and tackled construction of both bridges simultaneously. The work clicked along like clockwork thanks to great planning and the availability of precut materials (special thanks to Keith Hammer and Will Beyer for the cutting and planning). The bridge builders donated 47 hours of their time – and completed a daunting task that really needed attention, as the old bridges were warped and degenerated to the point of being a safety issue. Counting demolition (18 people hours), construction (47 people hours), and planning, plus 310 permit approval, purchasing, and material prep (easily another 40 hours), it’s fair to say that over 100 volunteer hours went into the bridge replacement project. And the cost came in at just below $1,000 – time and money well spent.
Meanwhile, on the Education Trail, three volunteers clipped, nipped and snipped a section of the dense young invasive common buckthorn that had regenerated once the large seed trees had been removed. The stems were treated with a glyphosate solution. It’s a tedious but necessary step in reclaiming the area for the native plant species preferred by our birds.
Tons of gratitude go to the volunteers for every phase and task. Buckthorn blasters were Darcy Thomas, Pat Jaquith, and Michele Tohtz. Demolition was done by Carol Buchan, Denny Olson, Keith Hammer, Will Beyer, and Pam Willison. The amazing and efficient bridge builders were Tom and Cindy Roberts, Gracie Jauch, David Martin, Rod Wallette, Kay Mitchell, Ronda Howell, Will Beyer, Denny Olson, Keith Hammer, and Pam Willison.
In addition, I want to acknowledge that this project could not have been completed without the support of our wonderful neighboring property owners. Craig and Kim Michels gave us access to their property, so we could drive the tools and building materials down and unload them within feet of the By-Pass bridge. As always, John and Darlene Sturzen were supportive of the project, and also tolerant of the increase in traffic and parked vehicles on Greenridge Drive.
Fall in Owen Sowerwine is a beautiful time to visit, so strap on your bear spray, wear some hunter orange or other bright colors, and go enjoy the falling leaves and unique smells of autumn – and walk across the two new bridges while you’re there.
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