Building Our New Home

As We Begin a New Year of Building T-K-T...

Let's be sure to thank all who've helped bring this camp so far so fast!  Like the hard-working folks from Rebuilding  Together*Greater Burlington (RT*GB).   October 22nd and 23rd last fall we had more than 50  volunteers working over the 2 days to build a cabin for counselors and make  repairs to other cabins. One of RT*GB's longtime supporters, Bill Hauke, donated  the building materials for the project.

Here's our own Ted Kessler with RT*GB's Dixie O'Connor:

New roofs for the Costume and Arts & Crafts Cabins were the first order of the day:

And how about a little porch roof to keep the rain off?

All the while nearby a new cabin is raised!

Up go the walls!

What did they used to say?  It takes many hands to build a village...

Slap on some paint and we've got us a cabin!

 

Lions & Elks & Bears, Oh My!

Let's start with the bears... Smokies that is!  For years now, law enforcement agencies from around the state have been banding together in an organization known as C.U.F.F. Cancer (Cops United For Fighting Cancer).  And for years they've been BIG supporters of Camp Ta-Kum-Ta!  And here they are presenting a BIG check for the construction of the C.U.F.F. Cancer/Ta-Kum-Ta Security Cabin:

Nice picture, but the guy on the right is missing his "soul patch"!

Meanwhile,  The Lions have been putting the final touches on their Camper Cabin.  Last time you saw it, it looked like this:

But now it looks like this:

This cabin was very difficult, as it will house the "mechanicals" for all of the cabins in its basement.  This is the only basement-equipped cabin. 

Now what could be happening at the other end of the Cabin Field?

Let's get a closer look:

Okay... that's REALLY close.  Can we see the rest?

There are the Elks hard at work on their cabin!  And these guys (and women!) work fast!

VERY fast!

And pretty soon we'll have electricity down here.  As soon as I figure out where this goes...

On Friday the Vermont Homebuilders & Remodelers Association arrives to begin work on another cabin!  But more on that later...

Until next time...

-Jon Brooks

What Has Two Bedrooms, A Porch, and 32 Wheels?

That would have to be our new Security Shack at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta!  A donation from nearby Camp Dreamland, the Security Cabin arrived today after a brief journey across the roads of South Hero:

Sure beats the old days, huh?  Here's the front view:

This cabin will make the short move to it's new footings on Friday, along with sisters "Costumes" and "Arts & Crafts".

Meanwhile... work continues on the "Eastern Star" cabin #1, with windows, doors, and porch currently being added:

Yes... that is Jaime Cross' brother out there with the drill!

And just down the field a piece, Cabin #2 arises from the tree-line:

What would we ever do without South Hero's Hero: Robinson's Hardware?

Want to join in the fun and do some meaningful work this summer?  If you have a group of ten or less, and have some experience in swinging a hammer, placing a a roof, or even landscaping, WE WANT YOU!  Call Ted on his Cell:  917-4441!

 

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Ben & Jerry's Arrives...

This week Ben & Jerry's CEO Jostein Solheim arrived with a HUGE crew of employees to dedicate their volunteer hours to Camp Ta-Kum-Ta.  When I first got there, a crew was busy painting a roof:

But already, they had put in a full day doing things like building a beautiful new fire-pit.  There'll be some wonderful stories told, and memories made here:

And the Ben & Jerry's crew spent a good part of the day painting and staining the "Eastern Star" cabin to match the TKT-Lodge:

Looks pretty good, don't it?

Meanwhile... just down the street...

S.D. Ireland pours the concrete into the Sono-Tubes for the footings on the next cabin!

Whatta team these S.D. Ireland guys are!

This is what their truck looks like without the Christmas Lights strung all over it:

The furthest Southwest cabin will contain the mechanicals for all of the camper cabins.  As a result, it will be the only cabin with a basement.  Just look at the hole Ted had to dig using his BARE HANDS! (To point where it should go...)

And just when you think those Ben & Jerry's volunteers have packed up and left, you find them STILL WORKING somewhere else!  Think I'll hang here for awhile...

Hey Ben & Jerry's: Good Job!  Good Job!  Good Job!  Good Good Good! Hunh!

 

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No Rest on Sunday...

The Eastern Star group continued their tireless efforts on Sunday, May 16th:

These are going to be some long-lasting solidly-built cabins!

At Ta-Kum-Ta there are no walls between us... yet!

And it STILL leaks less than Holy Cross!

CAUTION: Men With Nail Guns!

When this old world starts getting me down, I go up where the air is fresh and sweet...

Believe it or not, Amanda found a guy who's willing to work!

This Week(5/17-5/23):

Is going to be VERY busy at TKT!  

Tuesday, the foundations for two more cabins will be poured by Dick Preston from Charlotte.  Plus, the SLAM Team from South Burlington High School will be on-site for volunteer work.

Wednesday, Vergennes Union High School arrives, under the direction of some teacher named "Ralph".  They let Ralph teach?!

Thursday, the Security Cabin moves from Camp "Dreamland" to TKT.

Friday, the "Pond People" P&D Excavating arrive to begin making our new waterfront, while a TON of volunteers from Ben & Jerry's arrives to paint & Stain Cabin #1.

And Saturday & Sunday Eastern Star returns to finis the roof of Cabin #1!

And Finally... We've put the FINISHING TOUCHES on the Oldest Girls Cabin, and home to Boomer, Dolly, & Robin:

Till Next Time...

-Jon Brooks

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And Away We Go!

The first group of volunteer/fundraisers to arrive at the new TKT was the Order of The Eastern Star.  This state-wide group ran "THE WORLD'S LARGEST FOOD SALE" in communities all across the region to raise enough money to build our first cabin.  And while that was great, what is really amazing is that just after we received our Act 250 approval, they arrived at TKT in an RV Caravan! 

Then Ta-Kum-Ta's good friends Gregory Smith, his wife and two sons arrived to clear brush...

And John Beaulac and his crew arrived with earth moving equipment to level the land and clear the ledges.

And while the ladies of The Eastern Star supervise from a distance...

The men get down to some serious hammering!  This is the beginning of our first new cabin at our new Camp Ta-Kum-Ta!  And check out that view!

In a few short days (Okay, they were long and filled with Advil) we start to see what a cabin might look like...

We're constantly amazed by how many people want to help the kids of Camp Ta-Kum-Ta out!

You can almost feel the new memories about to be made here!

There's nothing like an old fashioned Cabin-Raising!

We can't thanks these volunteers enough.  And the community of South Hero has been just terrific too, dealing with all these extre folks wandering around their back-roads.  Special kudos to Jimmy Robinson at Robinson Hardware, who has been tireless in his support of this project, providing TONS of materials at below cost!

So far, the construction of four of these cabins has been spoken for.  There are five more to go.  Will your organization take up the challenge to raise the roof on the next?

 

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Camp Ta-Kum-Ta Gets Act 250 Approval!

Let the Building(s) Begin!

For those of you not familiar with Vermont rules and regulations, Act 250 is a permitting process designed to slow down sprawl and environmental destruction.  Attaining Act 250 approval for a project as big as ours can be a daunting process, but thanks to a very supportive community and a great cause, TKT as of last Monday has all the permitting in place to move forward with the construction of a New Camp Ta-Kum-Ta! 

Already the first cabin area has been cleared of trees and we are digging off the ledge and starting the sona tube installations for the footings.  The pond people were here to begin site work for the new waterfront,  and this week we wll be starting the move of the security building and the arts and crafts and costume building.  These cabins have been donated by another local camp, and will be trucked sans porches.  Those will be constructed new at a later date.

Big things are happening in South Hero!  Stay tuned for more up-dates and soon, pictures too!

 

-Jon Brooks