Breaking Ground and Bringing a Community Project Together

If you just happened to be in the neighborhood of the Oakhurst - Sierra Senior Center last week, the

dust was flying and the community got its first peek at great things to come.

It’s hard to believe that over one year ago, Shannon Brimmage (Sierra Senior Society Past President) casually mentioned to the Senior Society Board how nice it would be to have a walking path outside the Center.

One simple comment and the advice from Tom Wheeler and Bobbie Macauley on financing such a

project got Master Gardener, Randy Thomson and other creative minds together to create something

that really could be a great asset to our local community.

An Oakhurst Senior Center mini park walking trail plan was born adding a refurbished restroom,

community garden (another phase) and exercise, mile marker and game stations along the path (future stages). The future phases (as funding is secured) will bring in several samples and descriptions of local flora (*sans poison oak I hope), a gazebo and local art.

The ground has been broken this past Saturday and the community is all in with their enthusiasm and in some cases, their aching backs!

The Sierra Senior Society was fortunate enough to win a $6100.00 grant this past fall from the East

Madera County Foundation and has put it straight to good use on this project. With special shout outs to the many people that worked so hard helping us to fix and repair the existing outdoor restroom(thank you morning Rotary). To Brook Allen on his tractor cutting the walking pathway, Outback and True Value for “rock-dust” and bender board, Yosemite High’s Coach Travis and 2 football “studs” and Noon Rotary), (talk about our “Brawn”!) for their muscles and support and last but not least… Chase banks’ Deborah Rossenberg with the nourishment provided for all of the working stiffs (and on-lookers I’m sure). The weather cooperated and the first day of work was completed.

Completion of this part of the project is scheduled for the end of March.

The best part of a project like this is bringing the community together. To find a common goal, and to

share in something that can be enjoyed by everyone. After all, it’s the community that helped to build it.

As Georgia Kopel, President of the Senior Society and orchestrator of this fun project told me “ It may take a village to get a job done, but it takes a community to bring a beautiful project like this together”.

Thank you Oakhurst!

I can’t wait to see the next phases!