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Post date: Apr 05, 2013 12:9:23 AM
From: Deniz Atak
Date: Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 8:46 PM
Subject: Re: Eagle Scout Project - McLean HS grounds improvement
To: Loretta Dermes
Cc: Sophia Bruner , "Patrick, Jim"
Do you think the June 1st or the 15th will be better?
Either dates would be fine by me. I'll also look at the athletic calender.
Thank you for pointing out the soccer game,
Deniz
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From: Loretta Dermes
Date: Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 8:38 PM
Subject: Re: Eagle Scout Project - McLean HS grounds improvement
To: Deniz Atak
Cc: Sophia Bruner , "Patrick, Jim"
Deniz,
There is an alumni soccer game scheduled for Saturday, June 8 at 10:00am.
I agree that the 8" option is more likely to be a tripping hazard.
Mrs. D'Ermes
Sent from my iPhone
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From: Deniz
Date: Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: Eagle Scout Project - McLean HS grounds improvement
To: Sophia Bruner
Cc: Loretta Dermes, "Patrick, Jim"
Hi Mrs. Bruner,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! I'll try to answer your questions.
Retaining Wall: Both Mr. Patrick and Principal Mrs. Reilly have approved the proposal with the retaining wall. In our initial discussions we (Mr. Patrick and I) talked about an 8 inch retaining wall -- essentially continuation of what you see on the right side of the stair case (2 stacked 4x4 logs) all the way to the section with a dedication plaque which already has a 24 inch (4 stacked (6x6) logs for the mulch bed). Later, Mr. Patrick mentioned that raising the wall height to 24 might fit the existing landscape better as a continuation of that section next to the bleachers. Also, higher wall will help flatten the slope a bit to minimize erosion. I offered the options to you only for budgetary reasons. Otherwise. the retaining wall has both functional and cosmetic value but probably is not as high priority as the drain itself. (link: picture of the area)
Timing: We were initially thinking about a weekend in May but because of the lacrosse season we decided to push it to June (tentative June 9). Everything should be completed over a weekend. I'll recruit enough labor to get bulk of the work done on Saturday, and maybe put some finishing touches on Sunday.
Vegetation: You are right that students gather and stand in the area during the games. As you have noted the ground is already trampled up in that area but I think the main reason for the lack of vegetation in that area is the acid coming from the pine needles. According to landscape experts Kentucky 41 type grass grows under trees (apparently it likes or not impacted by acid from leafs or pine needles). Because a part of the problem - mud - is resulting from the erosion run-off itself I was thinking about tilling the ground in that area and planting grass to reduce the rate of erosion. So, my thinking is that raised retaining wall will flatten the slope a bit, and growing grass in that area again likely to minimize the mud run-off.
Safety Issues with the wall: You might be right about the new retaining wall becoming a tripping hazard but students hardly ever use even the bleachers for sitting but standing (I know from experience). I mean, it is possible that the use of bleachers for standing could be more hazardous than standing on a well constructed retaining wall. They may even like and enjoy the raised view of the game... I am planning to construct the wall pretty strong (link 6x6 x 4 stacked retaining wall), and my guess is that a higher wall (24 inches) will be more safe and visible than a lower height wall (8 inches). That said, I am sure you have a lot more experience with these things, so I'll follow your suggestions.
Funds: In addition to PTA support I am going to ask local businesses for donations (and ask them about selling some items like gravel or lumber at cost). I will prepare a web page for that purpose, and when I go by the stores show the owners a color copy of the proposal. Some things like top soil or delivery fees are not even in the cost worksheet yet (I know some parents with trucks and will ask for favors to see if they can help me transport some of the materials for free). I'll also call the county for getting some free mulch (they usually have it during the Spring at the Lewinsville Park - my dad and I used to pick up mulch from the park).
I hope I have been able to answer questions, and I am copying Mr. Patrick to make sure I am not overlooking something.
Thanks again for all your help, feedback and time,
Best regards,
Deniz
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