Brains, brawn and a small army of helpers:
That's what it took for Jesse Dahms to finish his Eagle Scout project.
Jesse, a Scout in Troop 15 Richmondville and a sophomore at Cobleskill-Richmondville, recently completed his project, Charlotteville Park in the center of Charlotteville.
Surrounded by a laid stone wall, the park has cut pave stones, a flagpole, wooden benches, flowers and shrubs and more pave stones for a sidewalk along the street. The park stands in front of the Charlotteville Schoolhouse.
And while the park is Jesse's project, many in Charlotteville and beyond had a helping hand with it.
Jesse got the idea for the park at one of the many community breakfasts at the schoolhouse. He drew plans on the back of a menu, and help came almost immediately.
Artist Paul Marcellino is a neighbor of Jesse and his parents, Joe and Christy, and Mr. Marcellino fleshed out Jesse's plans.
The Dahmses knew an old water tank, which at one time was an emergency supply for the fire department, lay underground where the park was to be. The tank had to be removed so it didn't cave in when the park was finished.
"We thought it was 1,000 gallons," Mr. Dahms said. "It turned out to be 5,000 gallons."
Randy Fancher pitched in with the excavating, digging up the water tank and removing trees.
Work proceeded with first leveling the ground--Bob Brady donated topsoil--and then digging the foundation for the flagpole.
Donated by Gary and Ursula Bower, the flagpole came from a former gas station down the street in Charlotteville.
Tom and Jane Woodhead had the pole refurbished in Schenectady so that it can withstand the weather.
A flagpole needs a flag, and Charlotteville residents Walter and Judy Kramer donated two of them.
"Mrs. Kramer said when they wear out, come see her again," Ms. Dahms said.
As simple as they might be, the flags brought another complication. Jesse learned that federal regulations require that if a flag won't be raised and lowered each day, it must be lighted.
So the park needed power for a light. David Hogan dug the trench for the electric, and Steve McClintock donated all the electrical work and conduit.
Then came the heavy lifting: Rocks for the stone wall and pave stones for the walks. And again, there was help: Matt Terk of Jefferson steeply discounted the stone for the walls, and Lancaster Development donated some of the slabs for the sidewalk
The stone wall couldn't just be thrown together; stone mason Benny Travis taught Jesse and friends how the lay it properly.
"Sometimes we had five people here, sometimes 20," Ms. Dahms said.
Sean Ralph, she added, was there every work day "with hours of hard labor."
The Karp family, also just down the street in Charlotteville, donated four carved stone façade features that Jesse included in the stone walls.
Three engraved stones surround the flagpole. One honors the late Ivan Karp and another memorializes John Vester. Gerald Vester donated $5,000 to Jesse's project and wanted his late brother remembered.
The third stone was a surprise; it notes that Jesse Dahms is an Eagle Scout and was a present from his parents.
Signs from Above did the engraving.
The final chores were making the benches and planting flowers. Kelley Farm and Garden in Cobleskill donated the lumber for the benches, Steve Mullarkey donated 250 bulbs and lilacs, and Guernsey's Nursery in Schoharie donated maple trees.
"We wanted the whole thing to look old, not modern," Mr. Dahms said. "We wanted wooden benches, not concrete, so it looked like it had been here a while."
Although many of the materials and labor were donated, the project was far from cheap. Jesse estimated the cost was $12,500.
But help came for financing, too. Besides Mr. Vester's donation, the Woodheads gave $2,500.
And at the frequent schoolhouse breakfasts, neighbors contributed in a donation can. All the money, in fact, came from Charlotteville.
"People just jumped on it," Jesse said. "They wanted to be part of it."
Proud of his park and pleased that people eagerly helped, Jesse's also glad it's finished.
"I'm overjoyed," he said. "There were days when I didn't think we could get it finished. Lo and behold, it is."
"And just think that it started on the back of a menu," Ms. Dahms added.