June 8, 2014
Sun. Stone. Scrape. Paint
You are looking at a group of ROCKSTARS!
Geared up and ready to work. Our Fulbright volunteers got down to business on Sunday.
Our Fulbright volunteers showed up, gloved up and got to work on the windows at the Stone Bank today! (They hail from a number of countries including Germany, Cuba, India and Senegal.
Twelve pairs of hands — and four local volunteers have given a big boost to this project, which is being operated on a shoestring.
You may not be near enough to grab a paint scraper or a can a paint, but you can show the Stone Bank some love with a donation.
We have a lot of work to do in 2014 that must be done by “paid” contractors. So, please: Dedicate a Stone. Make a $15 donation, and we will thank you with one of our Stone Bank T-shirts. Or just send a donation.
Every dollar goes into restoring this delightful and irreplaceable stone building.
As always. Thanks for reading the Stone Bank blog.
June 7, 2014
A Beauty Treatment
Hey, everyone! It’s been too long! Lots going on at the Stone Bank. Here’s the latest:
We are working to put this wonderful building back to use on Bottineau’s Main Street.
Volunteers are descending on the Stone Bank on Sunday, June 8, to tackle a really tough project — they are going to scrape, sand, prime and paint the Stone Bank’s windows.
These are very special volunteers — a group of Fulbright scholars from the Minnesota/ND chapter — who are taking a tour of North Dakota and making time to lend a hand in the community. We couldn’t be happier!
We know that the windows will have to be replaced — but that is later. We need to rebuild the back section of the building and then move on to projects like the windows. In the meantime, they will look better, thanks to this crew of volunteers. Some local volunteers are going to help, too. We will post more as the project takes shape.
Free labor is a great thing. But the Stone Bank needs cash to buy paint and other supplies. We need to match a new grant from the Historical Society of ND, too. Can you help? Every donation helps. Hey, look! There is a PayPal link on this page. (For your convenience.)
Thanks for reading the Stone Bank blog!
November 30, 2013
NaBloPoMo Finale (whew)
The moment you’ve all been waiting for … our last post for National Blog Posting Month 2013.
Admiring a gorgeous sunset near Bottineau, N.D., is a nice way to close NaBloPoMo.
Before we close out the month, we’d like to thank everyone who shared this journey, commented and sent photos. Your input made it a lot more fun to come up with 30 daily posts. Don’t be shy — we are always open to ideas, photos and commentary for months without a theme.
We also need to thank a few more wonderful Stone Bank friends — who are there when we need them. They have championed our project, worked for little or no pay and have been total rock stars!
Of course, there are countless others who have stepped up, donated and said a kind word. It’s good to pause and remember that this really is a community project — and we are grateful for every kindness and courtesy. We truly wouldn’t have made this happen without you.
But we are not done. So, stay tuned. Dedicate a stone. Buy a T-shirt. Wish us well.
We wanted to end #NaBloPoMo with a bang. So, here it is.
What can you say? Our Stone Bank friends and volunteers are dynamite.
Thanks for your support.
November 26, 2011
Hard as a rock
- Imagine Mike Dorsher’s surprise when a medium-size rock tumbled from outside the building and grazed his shoulder. Mike was removing insulation near an opening in the roof when he was hit. He wasn’t injured, but it was a good warning to all of us about safety on this worksite.
Stone Bank volunteer Mike Dorsher demonstrated how a stone falling from outside grazed his shoulder inside the Stone Bank.
Mike was on a ladder removing the last of the insulation in the ceiling joists when the stone fell.
“There were some small stones falling — like gravel,” he said. “So, I put my head down so the stones would hit the brim of my cap and I wouldn’t get dust in my eyes.”
Now, it’s clear that was a good choice. Because then a much larger stone fell and hit the back side of his right shoulder.
“It was kind of a glancing blow,” Dorsher said. “It kind of hurt, but what was really scary was when it hit the floor and made a thud.”
Not one to be deterred, Dorsher was back in the building on Saturday removing the insulation along the north wall.
That means the “volunteer” portion of the this stage of the dismantling is done. Now, the contractors will do the dangerous work in the dismantling project.
The next big step is to drop and remove the 20 feet of roof at the back of the building, so the stone mason can continue his work. We’ll keep you posted.
From inside the Stone Bank, it doesn't seem to be much of an opening, but it's enough for a one-stone avalanche.
November 2, 2011
Volunteers with strong backs needed — Nov.6
Stone Bankers are removing office furniture from the building on Sunday and need a couple more volunteers to help with the heavy lifting. Really. We’re talking fireproof filing cabinets. This is in preparation to have an asbestos abatement on Tuesday. Drop an email to touchstones.inc@gmail.com if you can show up at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
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