by John Mooy
On Burney Street in Marcellus years and years and years ago, the powers that be decided that there would be an addition put on the school. It would look quite modern. As for myself, I later walked down the hallway – I can’t tell you how many times – as the addition led from the old part of the building down the hallway to the gymnasium.
I’m guessing that it was during the summer of maybe 1955 that every morning a bunch of friends rode over to the school on our bikes, parked them and watched the construction workers work all day long. Sometimes they would talk to us a as we got as close as we could to the work site. We laid in the dirt and sometimes created small towns and roads all by moving the dirt around with our hands and then using small twigs to build houses and buildings.
So, over the course of the summer, we watched the school building created right in front of our eyes. Over time I recall conversations with my young friends about when the new portion of the school would be complete. If it wasn’t done by the start of the school year, would we not have to go to school. I often think of those times when I am in Marcellus and always make it a point to drive by that part of the school which is still standing.
That was a wonderful adventure for a kid growing up in Marcellus at that time.
In the last few days, I’ve had the opportunity to watch that same type of experience passed on to three of our grandkids. Just outside the side door of our house stood a playhouse that had been built probably thirty-five years ago. During its time it has seen an enormous number of young people play in it. It had though finally succumbed to the sometimes harsh weather of Michigan. The playhouse just plain wore out.
So, with the help of an incredible tool called a Saws All, the playhouse was cut into pieces and loaded onto the pickup truck and taken to the dump. Gone.
Now there is a new generation of grandkids in our family, and we got the idea we would replace the old playhouse with a new one so they could enjoy it. After all it is named a PLAYhouse for a reason.
So, the workers arrived on the scene and began work. We know the workers well and they are great guys and incredible workers.
So, with three of the grandkids here for a week-long visit, construction began and so did the grandkids watching the workers. The kids, who I will call Francis, Jack and Marielle because those are their names, were all mesmerized by watching the structure start to take shape. The first day they built the deck. That took all day and the kids watched most nearly all of the work that went into the deck. Day two the frame for the walls went up and several pieces of the siding were installed as well. I should note that during the first two days of construction the workers, who I’ll call Pete, JT, Mike and Jake because those are their names, had to fight off two opponents; the heat and the flies. They persevered which is a great lesson for young observers. You know, everything doesn’t happen immediately.
Tomorrow will be day three of the construction. The guys will be here bright and early as always and my guess is it will be another glorious day of OBSERVATION for the kids.
Have a great week, Marcellus.
You’re the best.
Skilled Craftsmen Rock
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