staff photo by david colburn
Jeff Harper welds a replacement part Tuesday for sidewalk railing at Central Park that was damaged when an oak tree fell on it May 19. Harper and Frank Werner took a section from a similar railing on Elm St. for parts.
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Faced with Chingawassa Days set to begin Friday, the only place Marion city crews could find parts to rebuild a damaged antique sidewalk rail at Central Park was around the corner on Elm St.
A section of the park railing was destroyed when a huge oak fell on it May 19. A rotted neighboring walnut tree was removed during cleanup, although a tall stump was left.
To get parts to fix a railing estimated to be 100 years old, city crews had to partially dismantle another one.
“The parts came off of the railing on the Elm St. little culvert,” city administrator Roger Holter said. “Those old rounded fittings just simply were not available.”
Frank Werner and Jeff Harper finished welding the new old pieces into place Tuesday.
“We’re just fortunate we had enough time to do it,” Werner said. “We spent a day last week working on it, and then the last part of it today. It’ll match the rest of it. It looks good.”
Holter said the Elm St. railing, now with a gaping hole, will be replaced with a new railing similar to one on the park stage.
City workers also came up with a use for the fallen oak and the walnut stump.
“The guys are going to cut a 4-inch slab of the oak tree and attach it to the stump, put heavy varnish sealer on it, and basically make it into a table,” Holter said. “That has to be after the park is ready for Chingawassa Days.”