Wednesday, August 22, 2012

HELPING OUT

Once again corporate involvement in the community has made its mark on the trails of Shelton. A group of volunteers from United Healthcare spent a day with members of the Shelton Trails Committee repairing trail damage and cutting a bypass around an existing trail. Team leader Li Peiqing was joined by Anne Beaudoin, Mindy Chmielewski, Brian Haswell, Lucia Liu, Adam Pallanck, and Mark Toman, all employees of United Healthcare. The Trails Committee was represented by chairman Bill Dyer, and members Sandie Kopac and Richard Skudlarek.

Click on images to enlarge 

 


It all started with this pile of road millings dumped at the foot of a section of the Paugussett Trail connector, provided by the City of Shelton.



Sandie tries to hide behind the Gator, while the real workers load millings.

The millings were then dumped and raked into deep ruts caused by heavy equipment traveling over soggy ground. Anne, Sandie, and Lucia's work made it possible for us to transport our mowing equipment to areas on the trail that badly need maintenance.



The Gator was invaluable in lugging tools and in transporting more than a dozen loads of heavy millings at distances of over 100 yards, a backbreaking task if done with cart or wheelbarrow.

 
Different location, different task. A new trail leg had to be cut through this thick jungle of brush and weeds. The existing trail was too close to a neighbor's property line.


After the initial swath was hacked and vegetation removed, an old pile of trash was uncovered right on the path and that, too, had to be removed. Mark takes a well-deserved break, as it was a hot, muggy day.


The final touch was a dressing of mulch to accent the path and stifle new growth.


Work complete, the gang rests in the shade, satisfied that their day's work made a difference.


 Thank you, United Healthcare and your eager volunteers!



And yet there's another side to these guys! 

Richard gets stuck picking up the tools and returning everything to the barn, as usual!

It was a tiring but fulfilling day. A lot was accomplished on two separate projects, and we on the Trails Committee once again had the satisfaction of working alongside corporate volunteers. Here's hoping that more civic-minded businesses will come forward to help us in our attempts to add to and improve Shelton's trails.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks to the folks from United Health for helping out on the Paugussett Trail. It's really great to see that kind of active community action by a local business.

    And good photos Rich - you actually took pictures of peoples faces this time. Attaboy

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  2. Photos of faces and rears.

    And let it be known that Sandie and I did assist Richard in picking up and returning the tools to the barn. Don't want him to feel to put-upon. But more to his credit, very literary and mechanically inclined - not a usual combination. Great article. The UHC folks were very pleased with their day and appreciative of Richard's blog posting.

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