NEWS

Old Mont Alto bleachers become new beds for Franklin County Master Gardeners

Echo Pilot

Students from the building construction trades class at Franklin County Career and Technology Center recently honed their skills while combining two community service projects — and did some recycling in the process.

The students replaced the boards in the bleachers at the Mont Alto Fire Department carnival grounds, then used the old boards to build raised beds for the Franklin County Master Gardeners.

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The Mont Alto project was an opportunity for students to practice measuring, cutting, layout, installation and team-building skills.

“Things went really well on this job. It was great to see students overcome the challenges of the job while developing team-minded work strategies, skills that will last them a lifetime,” said Eric Wagaman, building construction trades teacher.

Franklin County Career and Technology Center building construction trades students are pictured on the bleachers at the Mont Alto Fire Department carnival grounds. The students replaced the boards in the grandstands and used the old ones to build raised beds in the Franklin County Master Gardeners’ Victory Garden.

Just before the bleacher project started, Charles White from the Master Gardeners reached out to the class about building raised garden beds for the Victory Garden on Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg.

With a conservative mind for repurposing building materials, Wagaman was looking at the lumber coming off the grandstands and thinking that it would work great for the Master Gardeners project.

There was enough material to build 38 garden beds, including handicapped accessible raised beds designed to accommodate people in wheelchairs.

Franklin County Career and Technology Center building construction trades students worked with Franklin County Master Gardeners to install raised beds at the Victory Garden on Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg. Old boards from the grandstands at the Mont Alto Fire Department carnival grounds were used to build the beds.

Students spent half a day working with Annika N. Dowd, Master Gardener coordinator for Penn State Extension in Franklin County, along with other Master Gardeners to construct the beds.

Franklin County Commissioner Dave Keller joined in on the project and encouraged the students for their choice in career and technical education as well as appreciation for their time in giving back to the community.

Franklin County Career and Technology Center building construction trades students used old boards from the bleachers at the Mont Alto Fire Department carnival grounds to build 38 raised beds in the Franklin County Master Gardeners’ Victory Garden.

“Both the grandstands and garden bed projects flowed seamlessly together providing not only trade skill experience but more importantly, that we are better when we work together,” Wagaman said.