PAWNEE ROCK — When a group of volunteers are committed to a project, things can get done in a hurry.
Providing it doesn’t rain.
A cadre of volunteers that includes local Pawnee Rock community members as well as teams from La Crosse and Ellinwood have been working through rain delays to get the town’s new gazebo constructed for the summer season.
A quartet of volunteers set the rafters for the roof Monday, with the decking and shingles to follow the remainder of the week. At mid-day Monday, Norbert Moeder, La Crosse, retired general contractor, with Jon Prescott, Ellinwood, Barry Jack, Pawnee Rock, and John Blundell, Pawnee Rock were putting in the finishing touches on the southwest corner, having set the rest since the start of the day.
“We started the roof early this morning,” noted Prescott. A pair of scissor lifts lent to the group by Ellinwood’s Joiner Construction aided the overhead nature of the task, Moeder noted. “We would have had a hard time of it without those scissor lifts,” Moeder said. “They really helped a lot.”
Work began on the project on May 24, with an original completion date near the first week of June. The quartet was making up for lost time, with roof construction originally set for June 3.
Prior to construction volunteers from the local TruStage Insurance Company, a part of CUNA Mutual, painted restrooms and landscaped the grounds.
A space for the playground has been staked out at the southwest corner of the pavilion.
“The playground should be here about in the next two weeks,” Prescott said. “Everybody was hopeful that things will be done by July 4. I think the pavilion will definitely be done, but well have to push to get the playground done.”
A community upgrade
A $50,000 infusion by the Barton County Commission helped kick start the project in March, after a group of local residents came together to revitalize the community. The Pawnee Rock Revitalization Committee is also looking at restoration of some of the historic homes in the community, along with the upgrades to the park next to City Hall.
After a series of local fundraisers, the Revitalization Committee has already staged a community cleanup, with several activities planned over the summer. With the Commissioners’ help, funds have also come from local businesses and charitable organizations. Along with July 4 activities, are a 5K/1-Mile fun run/walk on July 22 and an all-school reunion in August.
