I took this photo yesterday about 6 pm after getting a tip via phone from a faithful reader.
Click photo to enlarge.
The situation: A truck and a pontoon boat on the sandbar next to the 5th St. bridge, adjacent to the Safety Center.
What’s your guess about what was going on? (Yes, I did find out.)
Update 6/20:
These gents from Barr Engineering were hired by Malt-O-Meal to take core samples of the muck in front of the Ames Mill dam. Evidently, there are some repairs needed on the dam and the state requires an analysis of the sediment on the upstream side of the dam in case its got problem contaminents in it, gets disturbed and washes downstream.
fixing the buoys? fishing for bullies? acting suspicious just toe make people interested?
Well, the magnetic sign on the door, and the hard hat on the person in the boat are giveaways.
I would say that this is a survey team for the new bridge for the bikepath.
They are probably checking river depth, and bottom soil composition for footings, or surveying for angles and alignment of the bridge.
This also gave me another idea…
If the Safety Center ever moves, and that site gets “reclaimed”, a park, with canoe removal access would be a really interesting addition to our town.
The ability to Canoe from points south, down a gentle river to Northfield would be an interesting tourism oppurtunity, even if it was just the ability to put in the river at the Dundas bike trailhead, and canoe downriver to the Northfield trailhead. This would truly make both the trailheads multi use.
Also, behind the dog park, is a nice wide flat open area that also could be used as a place to bring out a Canoe.
I think the bank at Riverside park may be to high and swift to do that.
Something to consider anyway.
In fact I have already done the Dundas-Northfield-Dundas-Northfield-Dundas trick.
(1) Lock canoe to shore in Dundas (planning on launching from the new trailhead, eventually). (2) Drive car/truck to Northfield with a bike. (3) Leave truck in Northfield. Ride bike back to Dundas. Lock bike. Unlock canoe.
(4) Canoe down the river to Northfield.
(5) Load canoe into truck, drive back to Dundas.
(6) Load bike into truck. Lock the whole mess and walk across street to a friendly eatery.
Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning.
John, you got the closest. I’ve updated the post.
http://locallygrownnorthfield.org/archives/1610/