Some of the Walls are Up

Drama Queens here with another progress report
on the Arts Village at North Fork.

Recently we revisited the Arts Village - and were we surprised at the progress! Last time we were here the slabs were being poured, the cement was settling and the pipes were sticking out of the ground.

Now the stone walls are up. The stone used for the walls is a split face block – the inside is smooth and the outside is burnished and rough. Also - see those metal strips sticking up? Those are hurricane ties. Each has 29 smaller and 2 larger holes for nails that help strengthen the wood posts that will hold the roof in place.

The wood and screen portions have to wait until the camp redistributes its water supply. Each site must have access to water to guarantee safety in case of fire. Once the water from the front pond has been pumped to the various construction sites, the 4x4 posts will be added and the screens put in.

We also observed on the now much larger concrete slabs that provide the floor for the showers and bathrooms that there are 8x8x8 joints to allow for the concrete to crack along these expansion joints.

There are three buildings walled in – one has the beginnings of a wash house with toilets and showers and the other two are unit houses. One of these two buildings will be equipped with utility sinks in the back to help facilitate art projects.

Here where we are standing will be a sink area – the pipes are already in place.

The pic on the right is outside the wash house - it is a handicap accessible shower.

So, as you can see the Arts Village is taking shape! We can now see the inside of buildings. The sleeping quarters will have wood and screen walls and so were still only concrete slabs during this visit.

Please check back for another update soon!

The Drama Queens!

North Fork Taking Shape in Clay County

Aerial View of Construction at North Fork 
August 2009

It's all about the Infrastructure!  

While the girls are busy at school, the crew at Dana B. Kenyon and their many subcontractors have been busy getting North Fork ready to enjoy for generations to come!

Infrastructure - the roads, ponds, parking areas, plumbing, foundations, etc. are being put into place as we get ready to "go vertical" with buildings!  

Work continues on the main entrance - it's going to be a beautiful drive into camp! 

The pool gutters are in place.  The area around the pool is cleared - as you look at the aerial photo you can almost see where the buildings will be! It's such an exciting time for all of us watching your new camp take shape out here! 

The drip irrigation field is done - you'd never guess all that is under the ground there. The water treatment area is taking shape - all cleared and ready for the foundation to be poured.

The storm drainage system is being built out too - and ponds are being dug throughout the property. They may not look like much now, but when they are in place they will be breathtakingly beautiful spaces where generations of girls will learn to fish and skim stones.

At the Fishing Village, the foundation footers for the restroom and are about ready to be poured.  The A-Frame is gone and crews are ready to pour concrete slabs where the cabins will be. Renovations are taking place at the main house too, getting it ready to be part of the Fishing Village unit.

The Arts Village is starting to take shape! They have starting laying brick and pouring concrete for the activity centers there.

Want to help? Individuals and troops can still purchase a commemorative Brick Paver or have your name engraved on a bench at the Amphitheater - contact Linda Hull for details. Engrave your name in history at North Fork!

Thanks to everyone involved in helping North Fork blossom and grow into the camp we envisioned years ago when the Master Site Plan was developed with the help of girls, volunteers and staff. Stay tuned to this blog for more notes and pics!

The Concrete Is Here!

If you were anywhere near Long Bay Rd & Blanding Blvd Friday you would have seen the convoy of concrete trucks heading in and out of North Fork. The trucks were on site bright and early Friday morning to begin pumping concrete into the pool - and we were there!

The concrete truck hooks up to this huge crane type truck that pumps the concrete through a hose into the pool.

Each truck holds 10 yards of concrete and it took about 11 trucks just to pour the floor!

As the concrete is pumped into the pool, workers spread it to get out air bubbles and make sure it is evenly spread.

Everyone has to work quick; from the time the truck is filled they only have 90 minutes to get to the camp and get it pumped and spread before the concrete starts to harden. It is a long day and a lot of hard work!

When a truck is empty it has to go to the concrete washout area to clean out any unused concrete.

If they don't the concrete will harden in the holding tank and it would to be chipped out by hand - UGH! The unused concrete is washed out into a bin and is later recycled and reused in roadway projects.

This is the biggest transformation the pool has taken and it is really fascinating watching and learning about what it takes to get from dirt to water. More to come next time.