Enter the Challenger

The challenger (disk harrow), a machine that appeared much later on the scene than the others, turned the soil on the present floor of the gully today. With no rain in the last few days, the compression readings on the floor have been favorable meaning that work may proceed. The cashew shape the gully still maintains will yield to the desired shape of the soccer field and the encircling track as the gully floor rises to the desired level and the north wall of the depression is lowered to meet it. Lots of engineering smarts at work here.

The Lull

Since the soil was tested on Thursday, 4/24, and was found to be 2% less than the desired compaction, there was no earth “processing” on Friday. Since it rained over the weekend and on Monday, 4/28, and threatens today, there is no movement in the gully or above it on the Heights side. Our men have moved a few sections of bleachers from the ball field to the area where the ground breaking will take place next week. A note of interest about past ground breakings: the first on this site was April 16, 1961, and the second on May 19, 1995. Ours next week will keep the ceremony within that period of weeks.

Repeat Again

The process of digging out the west end of the keyway continues so that it looks to be approaching the level of the rest of the gully. The excavator operator loads the dump truck, then the scraper, with the dirt which the two machines then cart up to the top of the north side. After the dirt is dumped, a bull dozer spreads it out to dry. This has been the process wherever the dirt is deposited. Another development today is the removal of the lamp post in the middle of the stretch of sidewalk

Slow Shape-Up

The floor of the gully is obviously being raised. Since the culvert that came out from under the parking lot has been torn out and the streams that threaded through the gully have been covered, the water has been collecting over night in the ruts left by the machinery. Meanwhile dirt has been spread all the way over the upper field to within about 20 feet of the Heights air conditioning units where it is piled up to about eight feet. This is just temporary until all the dirt is spread and ready for deposit in the gully. The whole depression currently is cashew shaped, hinting at the excavation work still to be done in this area alone.

Spreading the Dirt

The men continued the displacement of topsoil into piles close to the parking lot. The reason why this soil cannot be used directly to fill in the gully is that it settles too much over time if not spread to dry. The scraper (a large machine that does what its name implies) was used for the first time this morning.

The Keyway

At the end of the gully, close to the homes on St. Joseph, the men are digging a large 10 ft. deep trench called a keyway that will, as the gully is filled to a height 30’ above the floor, help to stabilize the hill.

Mountains of Mulch

The work began today on uprooting the trees on Hilton Dr. below the garage building and behind the gym. This work will continue throughout the week and will include the mulching of all the downed trees on the property.

Behemoths Arrive

Today the large machines arrived for the clearing of the trees behind the gym (the theater site) and in the gully and surrounding Heights property, and for the excavation.

Site of Theater

This tree is what was seen when you rounded the building. Gone, along with almost everything else in the picture,the first day of clearing since this is the site of the new theater.