Sebago Canoe Club members of all ages and races, recent
members and long-time members tackled post Sandy repair work this Saturday.
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| Post sandy walkway before repair |
The biggest job requiring the most people was repairing
the main walkway, lifted off its foundation by the tide and left broken and
scattered around the club grounds. Even
after the walkway was sawed into smaller pieces, it took ten to twenty people
to lift and replace the sections. One
crew had started near the dock and was replacing the walk from west to
east. Another crew had started at the
sidewalk gate and was replacing the walk east to west.
We all took a lunch break before finishing the walkway
work. Many volunteers had made soup, stew,
and chili or brought store made lunch items for a group lunch. Scattered around the club grounds, members
ate lunch and told of their own hurricane experiences as well as sharing other
news and stories they had heard from others.
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| Slipping the final piece into place |
Refreshed by a hearty lunch and rest, the final sections
of the walkway were cut and carried into place until the last piece of the
sidewalk puzzle was put into place, only an inch or two having to be cut off to make it fit into
place. It was like the joining of the
transcontinental Sebago railroad sans the golden spike.
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| Sebago walkway after repair |
Throughout the morning and afternoon others had been hard
at work cleaning out the storage containers, cleaning and re-positing sailboats
and kayak, pulling water logged material out of the club house, and other odds
and ends. It was a true group effort
involving forty to fifty people and a testament to the dedication many Sebago
members have to the volunteer
run, 501C3 nonprofit membership organization that operates as a concessioner on
New York City Park land.
A lot of work still needs done around
the club, inside the clubhouse and containers and out on the grounds, but the
grunt work which demanded many hands is finished. With walkway, kayaks, and sailboats back into
position, it is now much easier and safer to move around on club property and
the grounds look almost normal.
