From the Keeper’s Desk – April 8, 2025

Greetings!

When I arrived at EBLS this morning at 10am the footings were already placed for the barn. Jude Colosimo and his crew were starting the footings for the summer kitchen.

Colosmino Construction ready to set footing forms

Setting the Forms for the barn

Form for the barn

Bracing the footings was complicated by the fact they are working on bedrock. The steel pins that hold the forms did not always work because they could not be pounded into the bedrock. They did it by using triangular braces that were secured to the bedrock by drilling a hole through the brace into the rock and pounding a nail through the bottom of the brace into the rock.

Starting to set forms for summer kitchen

Drilling into bedrock to hold the brace for the form

Continuing with form setting

Securing brace with nails

Form held in place with brace nailed to the bedrock

Measuring to ensure its square

Using laser level to set height

Form is V-shaped to accommodate the chimney in the summer kitchen

Form placement complete.

As I was leaving late morning they were going to place the re-bar.

We were under the impression that no inspections are need on DNR property but Jude said he is waiting for an inspector to check the forms before he pours the concrete. That should happen tomorrow morning. Mike Laaksonen will let us know when it is supposed to happen.

Ed Miller