The Trails Committee needs your help again to build a boardwalk to cross a wet area on the River Trail. We hope to repeat last year’s fun, satisfying, and successful “barn raising” volunteer effort to create 160 feet of boardwalk in one day. The big day is Sunday, October 16 starting at 9 am at the O’Rourke farm barn. Directions: from Rte 225, take Maple St north. Turn right at the next driveway after 338 Maple St, (look for the Boardwalk sign); take the right fork past the house to the big metal barn. If you come after 9 am, park near the barn and follow the signs to the work area, about 0.8 mile. The boardwalk will be supported on steel posts, with a framework of pressure treated wood and synthetic wood decking screwed to the frame. A generator will be on site for saws and electric drills, as we have 2,000 decking screws to drive. In addition to carpenters, general laborers are needed. The work will go on through most of the day, so volunteers can come and go as their schedules permit. For those who wish to drop off refreshments (bottled water, cider, donut holes or cookies, sandwiches and pizza for lunch are suggestions), there will be a table near the barn. The site is dry now but work may be in areas of mud and standing water if we get heavy rains before the 16th; waterproof boots are recommended. Useful tools include a large-wheeled garden cart to carry tools and materials, heavy duty extension cord, power drill and bits, square #2 driver bits, hammer, level, tape measure, nail apron, pencil, square, Skil saw. We also need a smaller number of energetic volunteers on Saturday, October 15 to do preparation work driving steel posts into the ground and starting to build the support structure, again starting at 9 am. Both days are good community service opportunities for students. To volunteer, or for more information, call Steve Tobin at 978-369-1680 or sptobin@comcast.net.
For those coming to help with the boardwalks this weekend, bring your high boots! After all this rain the work sites have standing water in them from the flooded Concord River. It may be a foot or so deep in some places, depending on what the river does in the next two days. We’ll bring some pallets and boards to stand on, but be prepared to get wet. Right now we plan to work rain or shine, so come join the fun!
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Due to river flooding and rains due this week, the boardwalk building project has been indefinitely postponed (19Oct2005). 
