Kiosks Need Maintenance

"Before" - Paugussett kiosk
on Buddington Road

We have lots of trail kiosks that were built for Eagle Scout projects. We love the kiosks! But they do require maintenance over the years, just like the bridges and bog walks. Kiosks set the entryway tone to a trail, so we don't want them looking neglected. And yet a few are getting that way, like the one on Buddington Road for the Paugussett Trail. This particular kiosk had some graffiti at one point, and whatever was used to remove the graffiti clouded up the glass. And the routered sign at the top had weathered so much you could hardly tell it said anything. This one has been on the 'to-do' list for a few years, and it finally got done. 

Scrubbing and sanding the trail sign

The kiosk was originally constructed in 2014 by Mark Sullivan from Troop 25. The routered sign was removed and a lot of time was spent sanding and scrubbing the wood in preparation for painting. Meanwhile, the polycarbonate sheet was measured and turned out to be a size and thickness not carried by the big box stores like Home Depot. Was that something we could get from Shelton's very own Modern Plastics? Yes! And the owner Bing Carbone even donated the sheet cut to the exact size as the original. Thank you! 

Much sharper! 

The new glass and refurbished sign really made a big difference to this kiosk. The roof might still need some shingles, but it's so much better! 

We're at a point now where many kiosks and bridges are over ten years old and it seems like there are a lot of structures all needing help at the same time. Meanwhile, the Trails Committee is trying to catch up with all the seasonal overgrowth. If there is anyone out there with some basic carpentry skills willing to help out, let us know! We've also wondered whether any Scouting groups would be willing to help out.