Work on the Route 1 widening is proceeding without incident, unless one counts the ever-shifting traffic pattern in the immediate vicinity of the Church. Most recently, the upper end of Old Colchester Road was shifted to the North. Access to the Old Colchester Lot remains, but traffic must thread through some traffic cones. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that when approaching the Church, expect the unexpected.

A contract is very close for hooking up the Rector’s driveway to the new stub at the intersection of Route 1 and Pohick Road. The old driveway access will be gone permanently when the work on Route 1 is complete, and good riddance to it. Anyone who has made a left turn from the southbound lanes of the main highway into the driveway knows what a truly harrowing experience it is. The work to hook up the new access should be thought of as a step toward the eventual goal of making this the major access to the Church grounds. In the future, traffic will enter the grounds here and be funneled toward the parking areas. The traffic light will provide proper traffic sequencing for inbound and outbound traffic.

The bureaucratic minefield that must be traversed in order to bring this phase of the work to completion is daunting. It is made even more challenging by the fact that, since the Church is a historic property, special wickets must be passed. Closing the contract to get this work underway is greatly anticipated, and as noted before, Mr. Jim Hayes leads the way.

Take a moment to notice the excavation work around the bases of some of the great trees. As the years go by, mulch has a tendency to creep up the trunks and obscure more and more of the “flare” at the bottom. Accumulation of mulch can actually lead to harm to the trees, and the removal of this mulch has to been done by trained arborists lest the roots be damaged. This work is a part of the annual contract for tree maintenance.

Please take note as well of the hard work done by several Eagle Scout candidates of late. Justin Brooks’ shelter near the outdoor chapel protects a great deal of firewood from exposure to the elements. This firewood is used at Apple Butter time and at other times, too. Michael Orr also recently completed a project that provided various improvements to the playground, including the installation of three new swings. The Church benefits greatly from the work of these Eagle candidates. In turn, they learn a great deal about work planning and leadership.