The Schmitt family

Eagle Project Day 6 (Day 3 with Volunteers)

This is the third work-day where we have had volunteers in. We started around 9am with people actually arriving at about 9:15am. We provided donuts and coffee for the workers to eat and drink with of course the full cooler of water bottles. The day went pretty well with most of the railings going up, the ladder being installed, and a few other supporting braces being installed. We also added a couple extra support posts to give the platform the extra strength it should have. In between all this we stopped for a delicious lunch comprised of TACO BELL tacos and burritos. We ended early with the two predicaments of needing extra hardware for the rail kits and the fact that all the screw guns’ batteries had died and none would charge quickly enough. The tasks left to do include: completing the last two sections of railing, bolting the railing posts in their permanent place, assembling the climbing wall, and installing the steering wheel.

Eagle Project Day 5 (Day 2 with Volunteers)Early in the morning, at about 9am, the 6.5 tons of gravel arrived. With a handful of workers we were able to spread all the gravel rather evenly after about an hour to an hour and a half. Just as we had finished spreading the gravel, the wood chips arrived right on cue and dumped the 10 cubic yards of mulch in two huge piles. While this is all happening, posts are prepared and the other beam for the larger, shorter platform is installed. As more workers arrive we finish the main frame of the platform and break for lunch. After a well-balanced lunch of pizza and soda, the decking is installed on the larger platform, the tire climber is assembled, and the posts/beam are installed for the adjacent platform. Soon all the decking is on the higher platform and the platforms are all braced. The tire-climber is attached to the structure, and things are touched up. A lot has been done, but there is much more waiting to be done tomorrow. The railings, ladder, and climbing wall all have to be assembled and installed.

Today we got a good amount done in the few evening hours that nature provided. Beginning at 4pm and ending at 7pm we completed the containment box to hold up the gravel and woodchips. In addition to that, we got one beam up with two posts supporting it. Tomorrow we will start bright and early so we can get the gravel all spread out that is scheduled to arrive. Following the gravel, the delivery of woodchips should arrive.

After all the approvals and go-aheads, the project finally broke ground on August 24, 2007 at about 8:30am. Oxford Public Works helped with the excavation where about 10 tons of fill was trucked from the site. We hit a bit of a problem when the guys from Public Works asked how I planned on putting footings in the ground there. They informed me that the area was all “ledge” and to put the school in they had to do blasting. Oh great, what am I going to do now. Luckily we were able to dig deep enough for 8 of the 10 footings, pulling out tons of blasted rock as we did so. (more…)

This is my first post about the Eagle Project, so I will write a basic overview of what it is. My eagle project consists of building a playscape in the first grade playground at Quaker Farms Elementary School in Oxford, CT. It will consist of two free-standing deck-like platforms. One platform will be four feet from the ground and will have the dimensions 8′ by 8′. The other is five feet high and 4′ by 4′. They will be connected by a small step. (more…)