Boardwalk Update 28 May 15
Much has happened in the past couple months.
We hope to open the Boardwalk on Monday, June 22nd, 7am. Jeremy Libby of alphaOne will be our honorary opener. Jeremy is a longtime supporter of the Boardwalk. Here is what he wrote for our case for support statement: “Precious few locations exist in Maine, or beyond, where a person with a significant disability can enjoy immersion in nature. The Orono Bog Boardwalk shares the gift freely and is critically important to our community.”
Yesterday, Steve Merriam of Great Northern Docks came to the Boardwalk to measure the angles between sections where there are turns. He hopes to have the pie shaped pieces built in about a week and then another two weeks (or less) to powder coat them. When they are finished he will come to the Boardwalk with a crew to help install them. We will need volunteers to help install. Last year installation took less than a day.
Over the past 5 weeks many volunteers helped to take out old sections (about 40) and install 96 new sections, 2 wheelchair turnarounds, and 2 interpretive stations. I’m going to attempt to list those who helped: Donna and Gerry Dwyer, Jerry Longcore, Al and Nancy Larson, Cason Snow, Dick McClay, Mike Enos, Jim Allen, Fred Kirchesis, Adrienne Leppold, Dale Levesque, Steve McKay, Phil Koch, Genevieve Smith, Robert Sypitkowski, Jim Bird, and Ben McAlexander. Please, if I have missed someone let me know. Bill Kuykendall spent a day with us photo-documenting the installation.
While installation was going on Al and Nancy Larson, with help from Cason Snow, worked on the old Boardwalk (sections 203 to 509), replacing deckboards, etc. and getting it ready. Jim Bird and Jim Allen leveled much of the old Boardwalk yesterday. There are still sections to level. Phil Locke, Al Larson, and Jim Allen will be reconstructing a decayed section + wheelchair turnaround they took out near section 380. They hope to have it reconstructed soon. Phil Locke rebuilt our gate.
Phil Locke and Karl Hill, with help from Justin Landry in the fall, built the 2nd kiosk which will go near the picnic table. This kiosk will honor contributors to the capital campaign for reconstruction (one side) and tell the story through photographs of the reconstruction project (one side). Once we receive the new kiosk, Bangor City workers will help us install it. Kourtney Collum will make the 2 posters. Note we still need photographs showing Boardwalk decay. If you have some please send as an attachment to Jim.Bird@umit.maine.edu. Mark Anderson will update the current poster on the old kiosk, listing maintenance sponsorships and volunteers.
We are approaching the halfway point in our reconstruction. We still need about $18,000 to purchase the next 48 sections + 2 wheelchair turnarounds. In the next 3 days we will hear if our concept letter was accepted by the Quimby Family Foundation. If it is, we will have until July 1st to submit a full proposal. We asked for $35,000. In mid-June we will hear from the Fisher Charitable Foundation ($25,000), the Libra Foundation ($25,000), the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation ($1,700), and the Camden National Bank Foundation ($2,000). Last week we received a $1,700 grant from the Greater Bangor Association of REALTORS. Other grants are in the works.
Paul Markson will conduct 2 docent training sessions at the cabin area: Sunday, June 7th, 1pm and Saturday, June 13th, 10am. Let Paul know if you are interested in attending: oronopaul@yahoo.com
There will be a new guide training session at the cabin area on Saturday, June 13th at 10am. If interested in attending please contact Kourtney Collum: kourtney.k.collum@gmail.com
Andy Reeve will be putting out our electric eye counter soon.
Bryan Wells who maintains our video cameras would like a volunteer to help him monitor the cameras this year. If interested in learning about the video cameras and helping out please e-mail Jim.Bird@umit.maine.edu.
The UMaine Retirees Homecoming is June 2nd at the Wells Conference Center, UM. The Boardwalk will have an information table. If interested in helping please contact Jim.Bird@umit.maine.edu.
The Boardwalk annual yard sale will be sometime in September. More later.
Thanks everyone. We will send out another update closer to opening.