The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Timber Town restoration taking shape
By Terry Jacoby, The Chelsea Standard
PUBLISHED: April 26, 2007
The spirit to improve Timber Town is alive and well as efforts continue through donations and planned fund-raisers all geared to help restore one of Chelsea's most special and popular attractions. Organizers are planning to begin restoration plans next month, highlighted by the Hardware Restoration event on May 26.
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Timber Town, a 12,000-square foot wooden play structure in Chelsea built in 1996, is expected to reopen June 10.
The Friends of Timber Town recently received a $25,000 grant award from the Chelsea Community Foundation, which is the largest grant that the foundation awards to any one particular group. The money will be used for the restoration efforts which will take place in May and June.
The Friends of Timber Town organization is comprised of Chelsea Recreation Council Director Michelle Mitchell and Chelsea residents Tracie Faupel, Jim McInnis, Dennis Crawley, Jeff Dehring and Amy Mitchell.
St. Mary Catholic Church will host a benefit spaghetti dinner on May 11 to raise funds for two pieces of play equipment that will be added to Timber Town. Boy Scout troops 425 and 476 and the Knights of Columbus will cook and serve the dinner. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and youth with children 4 and under free. Additional donations for the dinner are encouraged.
Dinner will include spaghetti, salad, roll, drinks, dessert and coffee. Tickets will be available at the door or in advance at The Tree House, Mission Marketplace, and GiGi's Flowers in Chelsea.
The group effort hopes to raise more than $5,000. The money will be used to add a fire engine, complete with wheelchair accessibility, and a water mister acting as the fireman's hose. The money also will go towards a smaller sized police car perfect for children ages 1 to 6, located in the Tot Lot section of Timber Town.
The fire engine and police car will be dedicated in honor of Matt Tuttle and Scott Sumner, two Chelsea heroes who died tragically April 13, 2006.
The May 26 Hardware Restoration event has attracted many community volunteers, including, skilled and licensed builders as well as parents of young children who frequently use and enjoy Timber Town. Included in that effort is Dave Marsh, owner of My Home Town Handyman in Chelsea, who will be spearheading the wood staining on site. Girl Scouts leader Julie Coleman has recruited 10 scouts to help with painting and staining.
Other volunteers already committed to the project include Bob Knight of Knight Construction; Matt Doan, Jim McInnis and Paul Rauch of Doan Companies; Brian Parker, owner of Bay Pointe Homes in Chelsea; Scott Eckland of Eckland Imaging and Design; Bryan Dever, owner of Sawtooth Remodeling; Rob McFate of the McFate Group in Chelsea; Dennis Crawley and Kevin McLaughlin of Professional Communication Services in Jackson; Matt Johnson, custom home builder; Chelsea's Mike Vanderspool; and Mark Schroedder and Jack Long, both affiliated with Boy Scout troops 425 and 476 in Chelsea.
Additional volunteers are encouraged to attend the May 26 hardware restoration event. Help is always needed for runners, clean up, food prep and refreshments. Michelle Balaka of the Tree House in Chelsea will be providing coffee for the workers.
And when the hard work is completed, it will be time to celebrate. The community is welcome to attend a benefit concert following the park's reopening at 5 p.m. on June 10. Chelsea resident Bill Lamb and members of the classic rock band Fender Bender will play a free concert benefiting Timber Town.
The structure should be open and ready for play by 5 p.m. The band will accept donations with all proceeds going back to Timber Town. Music and dancing will last until 7 p.m. with the park open until 9 p.m.
The June 9-10 event also is coming together. The Chelsea Kiwanis Club has offered to provide food and beverages from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from their service wagon on a donation basis to all workers. Suggested donation prices will be provided by the club with all profits going to Timber Town.
Chelsea resident Helen Boyle also has donated several trucks to help minimize the mulch removal work.
Mike Dailey, incoming scoutmaster for Troop No. 476 in Chelsea, has recruited Boy Scouts to help in the restoration efforts. Jonathan Ellegood, the youth ministries director for the Chelsea First United Methodist Church, also has arranged for a group to help in the restoration effort.
Organizers are still looking for other groups and service clubs to offer support.
T-shirts and tote bags are currently on sale at various businesses in Chelsea, including the UPS Store in Chelsea. The UPS Store also has donated copying supplies and administrative help for the Friends of Timber Town.
Tracie Faupel, the marketing coordinator for Friends of Timber Town, also will be on site at the Chelsea Farmer's Market on opening day to sell t-shirts. Leslie Surel, owner of Surelutions Graphics + Web Design of Chelsea, has offered unlimited support with the Timber Town feature page, as well as help with flyer and marketing material design. The Timber Town feature page can be viewed online at www.thingstodoinchelsea.com/timbertown.html
The Friends of Timber Town have been "humbled" by the support shown by the City of Chelsea.
Craig Maier, the superintendent of public works, has worked tirelessly to help arrange for a number of services including sanitation and waste disposal options, tree planting, electrical needs and water.
Chelsea Mayor Anne Feeney worked swiftly to get a resolution passed by the Chelsea City Council to allow the funds from the Chelsea Community Foundation's grant to be approved.
Timber Town financial contributors include Moore Pediatrics and Associates, Chelsea Kiwanis Club, Doan Family Foundation, The UPS Store in Chelsea and Chelsea Milling.
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