The Bench

We will be returning to Mayo's Landing to work further on phase 1 and 2 on June 6 and 7, but a bench will also be installed for the visitor's comfort. This will be phase 3. This weekend, my friend Paul Leonard (right) and I (left) built the bench that will be placed there. The construction was much more complicated and challenging than I anticipated. We made the legs of the bench by bolting together 4"x4" of pressure-treated wood. That part was especially challenging because notches had to be made in each of the blocks. In order to do this, we cut half-way through them and repeated cutting them in the same area so that chips of the wood could be removed at a time. This had to be done eight times, so it took much of the time that we spent building the bench. We then completed the bench by bolting 4 2"x8" boards to the legs, as shown in the left picture below.    

When the bench is transported to mayo's landing, I will have to find a way to secure the bench to the ground in order to prevent damage or theft. I believe the best way will be to use chains to secure it to a close tree.
I have also planned to place an engraving or plaque on the front of the bench to thank Franzoso Contracting for their donation of the needed materials and Troop 28 for their help. I will also attach a plaque honoring Scoutmasters of Troop 28 that have passed away in recent years such as Herman Jaensch and Daniel O'Connor.

Installing the Steps

On May 3 and 9, we began installing log dam steps into the entrance of Mayo's Landing, such as the one pictured below. 

6"x6"s of pressure-treated wood were used to make these steps. Holes were drilled in them so they could be secured by re-bar. Gravel was then filled in behind the steps in order to prevent erosion. The first two steps were installed successfully without any complications. However, each of the following three steps could not be fully secured by the re-bar. Rocks in the ground made that impossible. There was also a shortage of gravel to be used for the steps. To substitute for the gravel, some of my fellow Troop 28 scouts went into the Croton River to dredge out rocks. This proved to be a sufficient substitute, but damage to two of the steps occurred only days after installation, as a result of the re-bar's inability to secure the steps.
The following project sessions will be on June 6th and 7th. I plan to repair the damaged steps and install the final ones. I will also bring in the bench that I have built this weekend and secure it.    

Day 1

Day 1 of my project at Mayo's Landing was very simple in contrast of the following work days. The participants were (from left of the below group picture) Julian Power, Connor Catterino, Maria McGarty, myself, Emmanuel Stok, and Benton Schecter. We began by clearing out much of the brush and litter in the site. We then used a pair of loppers to cut out a shrub that is shown in a picture below (Benton is sitting right next to it).