We started Friday night Sept 7 to make sure we had no problems with the machine and wiped out 3 locations that evening.  Saturday morning was a warm one and we started around 0830hrs.  The Raymonds and Arend were the lucky winners to be the early birds and I am sure they enjoyed that, maybe not their neighbors.

 

It went as well as it could have however I think the forest creatures were stacking more limbs as fast as we were trying to chip them.  The piles seemed to grow and grow.

 

We ended Saturday evening with a large 5 pile location for a soon to be new neighbor.  Terri and her daughters will move in around the first of October.  This did not only help Terri it also helped out our outgoing neighbors of Robert and Elaine Heise on Elm Square. We wish them the best in Brighton.

    

 

The only bad news was for Steve and Melanie West when I called them on Saturday evening and told them we were wiped out and needed to stop for the day and would be there in the morning.  Steve and Melanie were great and did some of the work themselves before we returned.

 

Sunday was not bad and we called it quits around noon.  Cleaned up the machine, fed it some gas and returned it to its home at Parker Home Depot were it needs to stay for at least a year.

 

I want to give some very sincere thanks to the following individuals. But first thanks to everyone that had debris! I was in charge of cutting all the debris to pieces and how I did enjoy using the chainsaw.  I just do not know why all the guys stayed away from me.  Go figure and woman with a chainsaw. 

 

Now back to the serious and sincere thanks. I would like to express a great deal of thanks to Dave Burnett, Larry McIntire and my husband Kurt for the three days of very hard work and the very long hours that they put in to help out our community. (not to mention the stock we all bought in Ibuprofen, Ben Gay and ice packs. These items helped take care of the bumps, bruises, cut and very sore muscles)

 

Jim Raymond thank you for going next door and helping out at the Arend's residence. A thank you goes out to Rick Arend who asked if he could go a long with us to help.  Which we appreciated greatly.  Rick was there for 3 other locations.  I would like to thank Van Sands who surprised us and showed up at the Saunders and Kelly residence.  I would like to thank Allan Kelly and his son Ian who both helped the group when we went to the Heise residence.  I am very grateful they did, there was a lot of debris and we were all running out of juice.  A big thank you to Steve and Melanie West for being very understanding and letting us call it quits on Saturday evening and for them to start their piles without us and for then going to the McGinty's on Sunday morning to finish the last residence.

 

The biggest thanks goes out to the spouses who showed up with pitchers of water and ice, coolers full of sodas and food to help us out.  You were truly appreciated and I thank you.

 

I think this community event was very beneficial for all who participated and I know you all appreciated our efforts.  I hope this is not the end of a community event and hope all of you will be at our December meeting. We have a lot to discuss and plan. The board has done a great job this year and we look forward to another year if you will have us.

 

Total expense:$510.71    Chipper Rental: $455.66  Gas for Machine & Chainsaw: $35.05

                                     Gas for vehicle:$20.00

 

Thank you and we look forward to next year event hopefully to be a neighborhood BBQ in the cul-de-sac area of Forest Park Drive.

 

Julie A. Proffitt

VP Forest Park HOA