Hoosac Valley Students Raise Structure For Aggie Fair
ADAMS, Mass. — This year's Adams Agricultural Fair will have a more suitable structure for welcoming fairgoers to Bowe Field thanks to Blair Mahar's timber framing class.
Mahar said the introductory class at Hoosac Valley High School just finished its third year and the students designed and built the post-and-beam structure.
He said students can learn a lot through building the simple structure.
"It offers elements of math, science, history, engineering, and tech-ed," Mahar said. "It encourages our students to work collaboratively in small groups using information and technology to create an original product."
Timber framing is a sustainable form of construction. Each frame is composed of large wooden beams held together with wooden pegs.
Mahar said along with the tech skills, students have to work together.
"Students are required to communicate verbally and to work independently as they assume different leadership roles throughout the project," he said.
Students involved in raising the structure were Austin Mendel, Will Malloy, Brandon Sumner, Ray Fillion and Tyler Lancia.
Selectman and Aggie Fair co-founder Joseph Nowak was also on site assisting in the construction.
Mahar said the class is partially funded by an ACE Grant from the Berkshire Taconic Foundation. Each year, the timber frame structure is sold and the money goes back into the class.
Local businesses and residents also kicked in funds and supplies to make the program possible.
The Home Depot, Adams' Lumber, Stanley's Lumber, Adams Trucking Co Inc. Century Acquisitions Inc., Stash & the Boyz Tree Service, C.W. Construction, and Atlantis Equipment provided supplies and resources for the project.
Other individual donations came from Jim Hoellerich, Chris Diesz, Ted Jayko, Dennis Pinsonneault, and Jeff Randall.
Tags: carpentry, construction, HVHS,
