Volunteers pour pads to bring benches back to Maillet, Sommes & Morgan

Jul 22

(2-minute read)

Eleven volunteers from NextStep spent a muggy Wednesday morning working alongside Reading’s Conservation Division to install concrete pads at the Maillet, Sommes & Morgan Conservation Area, clearing the way for the return of benches that had become a fixture for visitors to the Willow Street property.

Heat and humidity hung over the site on July 22, but the crew finished nearly five pads before the rain ended their day, including two new bench locations chosen by the Conservation Division. The volunteers hope to finish the remaining two concrete pads tomorrow. One of those new spots was picked so parents can watch their kids hunt for frogs. Conservation Administrator Chuck Tirone worked alongside the volunteers, as did resident Joe Fleury.

Benches back under warranty

A brown and black slatted bench on a concrete pad, facing a gravel path, wetland pond, and trees. — A bench sits on a finished concrete pad, facing a gravel path, wetland pond, and trees. Photo by Taylor Gregory.

Three people kneel on either side of a freshly poured concrete pad, smoothing the surface with a board, with a wheelbarrow of concrete nearby. — Conservation Administrator Chuck Tirone (right) works with volunteers from NextStep to smooth wet concrete inside a wooden form. Photo by Taylor Gregory.

Four benches were originally installed at the conservation area, with a fifth added later as a donation. The Polywood benches had deteriorated from heavy use and direct sunlight, and the Conservation Division was able to replace the failed components under the manufacturer’s warranty. Those repaired benches are the ones going back in on the new pads.

The bench trouble reached the Select Board earlier this summer. At the June 9 meeting, the board discussed a $2,000 funding request to replace one of the Polywood benches with three rendered unusable by wear and sun exposure. The installation carried a one-year warranty with the contractor and a three-year commercial warranty with the manufacturer. The board approved the request at the June 23 meeting as part of the consent agenda. Tirone said he was able to replace all the Polywood benches through the manufacturer and use the $2,000 to install the concrete pads.

Donation could upgrade the seating

There is room for residents to help upgrade the seating further. A bench runs about $2,600, with a memorial or dedication plaque adding roughly $150. Families interested in donating a bench can purchase the plaque themselves, and the Conservation Division handles installation.

Three volunteers use shovels to dig around a rectangular wooden frame set on the ground near a wetland edge. — Volunteers dig and level ground inside a wooden frame marking one of the new bench locations. Photo by Taylor Gregory.

If new benches are donated, the Polywood benches that needed replacing could be relocated to spots better suited to them. Residents interested in contributing can reach out to the Town Manager’s office to discuss the details.

More work ahead

NextStep volunteers also lent a hand at the Pinevale Conservation Area, where they worked on a boardwalk and other small projects. Looking ahead, the Conservation Division plans to refresh wood chips across several conservation areas, add a water line to Lot 5 so future planting can be watered regularly, and work with Northeast Metro Regional Technical School to complete interior work at Mattera Cabin, holding down costs for the town.