Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society
of Pennsylvania, Inc.
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church,
Manheim, PA
Sunday, February 7, 2016
President Tom Walczak called the
meeting to order at 2:05 p.m. and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
NEW
MEMBERS AND GUESTS: None
Tom reminded members the minutes are
in the box for review and approval later.
TREASURER’S
REPORT (Bob
Kuether). 360 members renewed for
2015-2016. Six less than one year ago.
Two new members: Robert Nelson,
Michael Rudnick.
MEMBERS’
REPORTS.
Clyde Scheib found an old announcement in Jim
Lockhart’s things of our 45th Anniversary Dinner May 2, 2004. Cost of the dinner was only $2.75. The luminaries at Kennedy Bridge (PA-15-13
#2) were a big success in December with 400 bags of light, more than any prior
year.
Tim McLaughlin reported that Speakman #1 (PA-15-05) has
been completely disassembled and moved to the warehouse where Joe McCarthy’s
group will work on it.
Joe McCarthy added that the bridge will be raised
3 feet, 50% of timbers will be replaced, and it will have clear span underneath
to prevent debris from collecting there.
After the program Joe shared photos of the work at Speakman projected
onto the screen.
Greg Williams visited Sachs (PA-01-01) and 5 other PA
bridges since our last meeting.
Pat Cook visited two romantic shelters while
in Florida, and showed various publications featuring ads with covered bridges
in them.
Michael Chorazy attended member Mary Darrenkamp’s
funeral mass. Her love of covered bridges was mentioned in the eulogy. He visited Knox (PA-15-15#2). The work is
supposed to be completed by mid February but from what he saw not a lot of
progress has been made.
OFFICERS’
REPORTS
President Tom Walczak visited Jericho (MD-03-02 &
MD-12-01) yesterday. It looks almost
finished with siding and roof completed and surveillance cameras in place
although it will be about 6 weeks before they are active. He mentioned a bridge at Quiet Valley Farm in
PA he was not previously aware of that he saw while browsing Etsy.com.
First Vice
President Jim Smedley
– Work
is continuing on Jericho on the approaches, surveillance system and headache
bars (set back about 75 yards from portals).
In late December he and Gloria visited 8 bridges in Ohio and 2 in West
Virginia. The highlight of the trip was
the newly rehabilitated Otway Bridge (OH-73-15) Scioto County and Stonelick
Bridge (OH-13-02) in Clermont County and Crabtree Bridge (OH-40-06). For the most part all of the bridges they saw
in southern Ohio were in nice condition.
They also tripped out to Frederick County, MD after the snow melted some
to get some nice winter snow photos of the three Frederick County bridges.
The deadline for the fall
issue of PA Crossings is today, February 7th. Members should be receiving it in the mail
around February 19th.
Second Vice President Ray Finkelstein is working with Jim Smedley on
updating our by-laws. They will be
getting a committee together to meet, report to the board, then present changes
to the membership for consideration. They hope to complete this task by
September 2016. He has been sending out
membership reminder notices. He visited
the Manassas Guths Bridge (PA-39-03) last month which is now open to traffic. He will participate in the annual Community
Night on May 3, 2016 as in the past, and will man a table representing the Society.
On June 12, 2016 there will be a 175th
Anniversary Celebration at Bogert’s Covered Bridge (PA-39-01) in
Allentown. As regarding the cost to restore Bogert’s, yesterday the Allentown
Parks Dept met with the engineering firm who restores covered bridges. It will cost approx. $1.5 million to restore
the bridge; a Band-Aid fix which will cover perhaps 5 more years is about
$200,000. The design plans for restoration are approx. $150,000. Ray is investigating grants and working on a
strategy to engage the public in a fund raising effort for the restoration. P. Joseph Lehman, Inc. is the firm who did
the inspection. The city would have to put out the project for bid. He has additional information on the table up
front for anyone interested.
He and Linda
visited Pinetown Road (PA-36-05#2) and Hunsecker’s Mill (PA-36-06#2). He
also visited Manassas Guths and Wehr’s (PA-39-02) and passed through
Pleasantville (PA-06-01) yesterday which looks to be in good shape.
Third Vice President Steve Wolfhope – no report.
Fourth Vice President Tim Cohen was sick and could not attend the
meeting today.
Historian Fred J. Moll will give a Power Point presentation on “Covered Bridges
of Berks County” at the Highlands in Wyomissing on Thursday, February 18, 2016
at 7PM. This past month he checked on
five covered bridges in Berks County and all seem well. On Tuesday, January 19, he photographed the arrival
of the new Colebrookdale Trust railroad diesel locomotive in Boyertown, an
engine from the 1950’s. Excursions starting in May this year will use the newly
acquired locomotive and will travel from Boyertown to Pottstown and back. His son Andrew, while not a covered bridge
enthusiast, sent him a picture he took of Fisher’s Railroad Bridge in Wolcott
Vermont while visiting there last month.
Recording Secretary Gloria Smedley – No report.
Corresponding Secretary/Program Chair Pam Heisey - No report.
Treasurer Robert Kuether attended the Montour County
Commissioner’s meeting to ask for approval to paint Sam Wagner’s (PA-47-01/49-11)
Covered Bridge which is shared with Northumberland County. He visited the bridge to determine the
condition. Our Society became members of
the Lancaster Visitor Center on Greenfield Road where we have put covered
bridge merchandise (mugs, notecards, PA book) on consignment with them. Bob thanked Jim & Gloria Smedley and Ray
& Linda Finkelstein for bring the needed merchandise for the display. Bob visited 5 Lancaster bridges just before
the snow melted to take photos for the calendar.
REPORTS OF ILLNESSES OR DEATHS
– Mary Darrenkamp
passed away in late December. Pat Cook’s
husband Ken is having hernia surgery tomorrow.
Janet Orland’s husband, Herb, is recovering from recent prostate
surgery.
OLD BUSINESS – Tom reviewed items discussed at
today’s Executive Board Meeting.
NEW
BUSINESS
Jim showed the safari shirt for this
year’s safari. The color is maroon with
a digi-print photo of Stark (NH-04-05) bridge on the front. We are using a different vendor this year.
Jim and Gloria attended the book
release party for a new federally funded book entitled “Covered Bridges and the Birth of American
Engineering”. He obtained copies for distribution at today’s
meeting. A copy was given to everyone
(one per couple).
June Evans suggested members be able
to donate money to the Church Food Drive for those who often forget to bring in
a food item for the grocery basket in the vestibule. Pam Heisey can accept donations on behalf of the
church for the food drive.
Gloria Smedley announced that
refreshments are available in the kitchen during the break and thanked Gloria
Wolfhope and Judy Kuether for helping her provide these today. The refreshments are free although each month
we will have a container by the refreshments for small donations to offset the
cost. Linda Finkelstein has agreed to
coordinate this effort each month and already has volunteers lined up for the
upcoming meetings. Individuals who bring
in refreshments can be reimbursed up to $15 to cover the cost. The items can be homemade or store bought.
NEW COVERED BRIDGE ITEMS
Ray
Finkelstein showed a candle his son had given him as a gift with a group photo
at a bridge on it.
Judy
Kuether showed a puzzle of a covered bridge that Ed Myers had created.
Greg
Williams mentioned the Wal-Mart covered bridge model he obtained.
Donna
Talak purchased a covered bridge calendar at Wal-Mart and the tin.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES - December minutes were approved as
presented.
Today’s
program was given by Michael Chorazy, entitled “New York State’s Covered
Bridges”.
NEXT MEETING
Our Next Meeting will be on March 6, 2016 here at St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church.
ADJOURNMENT
The
meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Respectfully
Submitted by Recording Secretary, Gloria Smedley
February
19, 2016