Westfield Vocational-Technical Construction Technology Instructor Brian Falcetti, foreground right, helps high school seniors Cole Provost, left, and Ashlee Lees, center, apply the finishing touches on a 20-foot x 12-foot storage shed at the North Boat Ramp on Congamond Lake in Southwick, Friday. Seniors from the construction technology class donated their time to apply vinyl siding and re-locate the the barn door style entrance of the structure. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – The shed at the North Pond Visitor’s Center has been spruced up and solidified with help from Westfield Vocational Technical High School (WVTHS).
Construction Technology Instructor Brian Falcetti and a crew of 15 seniors spent three days making repairs to the shed, replacing doors, and siding the structure to match the visitor’s center building, which was also built by WVTHS students several years ago.
Lake Management Chairman Richard Grannells said the students did a great job.
“Westfield Voc has been good to us,” Grannells said. “The instructors are really good and they have a great bunch of students. I think so highly of them and they did a really good job.”
Grannells said the structure, which is used for storage, is now able to stand-up to winter weather on the lakes and aesthetically fits in with the visitor’s center.
“The siding matches the center now and it looks nice,” said Grannells. “We are lucky to have WVTHS work with us.”
Falcetti said the feeling is mutual and his students were able to hone the skills they learned in the classroom on the job.
“They do learn some lessons on site, but it’s really reinforcing the skills they already learned,” Falcetti said.
Because the group are fourth year students, the work went quickly and smoothly.
“They really whipped through the job,” he said, adding that they have a few finishing touches to complete on Monday.
“About eight years ago Dick Grannells called us and our school built the visitor’s center,” said Falcetti. “We developed a good relationship and Dick kept us in mind for this project.”
This was the first project of the year for the construction technology students, but it is the first of many.
Falcetti said the students will work on a garage for a resident as well as a garage to house some transportation vehicles at Westfield High School. The main project of the year is the city’s pavilion at Park Square.
“As soon as we get our materials we will get started,” he said. “Most of the pavilion will be built on site, but some trim work will be done in the shop.”
Falcetti said residents can submit projects for consideration, but it must fit within the curriculum.
