It was just your typical day on Averill Place. I was walking Lola, The Worlds Largest Shih-Tzu, when I came upon what I originally thought was grafitti spray painted on the sidewalk in front of my house.
"8 INCHES LOWER" the words read. What could it mean? Was this some sort of message suggesting I trim the grass a little more often? It wasn't long until the mystery was solved...
had Averill Place as next on its list of town projects slated for upgrade and improvements. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Averill Place, it's a dead end street just off the town center and many of the homes harken back to a quieter time. Like many of the homes in this quiet residential neighborhood, mine is over 100 years old and has many architectural features that you just don't see in today's new construction. One of my favorite features of the house is the fieldstone fireplace and foundation that the original craftsmen (and these early construction workers were truly craftsmen in every sense of the word) put in place over a century ago. The stone and mortar work still holds strong with hardly a chip or crack anywhere.
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So how, I wondered, would the public works department deal with the fact that leading from the sidewalk to the front door of my house, were two very old, very beautiful, and very much in the way fieldstone pedestals that rested on the soon to be "8 INCHES LOWER" sidewalk.
My fears were unfounded (whew!).
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The crew showed up bright and early and carefully removed the sidewalk panels necessary with finese and expertise. It is with a great sense of relief and pride in the hard work of our Public Works Department that I am able to report that the job was handled with the utmost of concern and professionalism for the home and its history. These people clearly have a sense of pride and ownership that is every bit as justified as that held by the hard working people who originally constructed the homes of yesterday, and indeed, have earned the right to refer to themselves as craftsmen as well. Can't wait to see the finished product. I'll keep you posted!
