Category: Sondreson Hall

The NFLA board has been discussing a new sign for Sondreson Hall for over a year.  While visiting the North Fork, Paul Genovese became interested in what was happening up here.  He checked out the NFLA website and listened to the oral history interviews posted by the North Fork History Project.  After that, he started reading the board minutes where he discovered that we were interested in a sign for the Hall.  He contacted me because I was still the NFLA President at the time and we talked about the sign design that the board had in mind.  Using a computer-controlled plasma cutting machine he cut the design out of a steel plate with a rustic finish.  When the sign was finished, he drove up to the Community Hall and mounted it.  Many thanks to Paul for his initiative, creativity, time, materials, and interest in the North Fork Community.

 

Lynn Ogle, Gary McDonough and Allen Chrisman replaced the back porch at Sondreson Community Hall on Wednesday September 11, 2013.  The decking on the existing porch had rotted.  The porch was replaced with pressure treated 4×4 stringers and 2×6 decking, and placed on concrete pads to prevent ground contact and rot.  Thanks to Lynn for picking up the materials in town, and to Lynn and Gary for providing the tools and expertise necessary to complete the project.  We were one board short – but found a scrap to finish out the project for the time being.

Smiles, conversation, and productive work fueled the twenty-three landowners that showed up on Saturday, May 25 for Hall Cleanup Day.  Everyone was busy cleaning up the inside of the Hall and the grounds outside.

Gary Haverlandt worked on a picture display commemorating the Christmas celebration at the Hall.  Joe Novak washed windows.  Margaret Heaphy and Bill Walker cut kindling which was carried into the Hall by Margaret, Becky and Suzanne and stacked near the wood cook stove.  Karen McDonough, Carmen Edwards, Bonny Ogle, Naomi Hoiland, and Alice Caldwell orchestrated the work inside the Hall while outside, trees and bushes were limbed and a fire was started to burn the debris.

The fire was guarded by Larry Wilson and brush contributors were Mark Heaphy, Jan Cauldwell, Nat Johnson, and Tom Edwards.  Bob Graham cleaned the outhouse and Jackie Graham cleaned the generator shed.   Richard Hildner brought his tractor to the Hall on a trailer and spread topsoil around the new outhouse site.   Bob and other landowners used rakes and shovels to smooth the dirt while Lee Secrest, Gary McDonough, and others moved large rocks and placed them artistically to create a beautiful landscape.   (The topsoil had been previously donated by Rob Alm.)

Grass seed was spread over the new soil by Debo Powers.  We need a load of gravel to finish the landscape job.  Duke Hoiland showed off his logging skills by expertly felling seven dead trees behind the Hall without dinging a single structure.  Duke, along with Nat, cut the trees into firewood.  There were many hands to stack firewood and haul brush to the burn pile.

It was amazing to see how fast the work was accomplished with so many people!  Everyone enjoyed a wonderful lunch of hot dogs and chili provided by Karen McDonough.  Karen’s fabulous homemade chili was a big hit with everyone.  After lunch, the last few trees were felled, firewood stacked, and brush burned.  Tom Edwards commented that more work was done in a half day than in the last three years combined.  Everyone had fun too!
We want to thank everyone who participated for all of their hard work. And thank you Debo for both the report and the wonderful pictures. Let the summer begin!

Community service moved front and center this summer, as a host of volunteers led by Frank Vitale demolished Sondreson Hall’s decaying front porch and replaced it with a new model. The new porch features a full roof over the deck and composite stairs that will last for years, yet retains the original rustic look of the hall.

The project took some six long work days. North Forkers who donated their time, tools, money and materials are too numerous to mention. Special thanks, however, go to: Vitale, who designed the porch, and organized and supervised the project; North Fork builder Rob Fisher, whose expertise contributed to the excellence of the finished product; Lee Secrest, who donated and milled most of the awesome lumber; Tom Edwards, who donated $1,000 for the porch, and arranged for Western Building Center to provide materials at cost and with free delivery; Eric Martin of Western Building Center in Columbia Falls, who tweaked the materials list and saw that materials were delivered on time; Rob Alm, who donated and delivered a load of gravel for the base; Gerry Stearns, Bonny Ogle and Karen McDonough, who coordinated food donations and purchases, and prepared lunches for the workers.

Thanks to all for a job well done!