Posted on 08/28/2005 12:34:56 PM PDT by lunarbicep
HIBBING, Minn. - Timber harvested from the site of the plane crash that killed U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone and seven others will be used to build a Habitat for Humanity home.
"I think using this lumber makes it very unique," said Nathan Thompson, executive director of North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity.
"Paul Wellstone was a person who really would have liked to see something like this happen," Thompson said. "Projects that help people in need are what he wanted; it's really fitting."
Wellstone, his wife, Sheila, daughter Marcia Markuson and five others died Oct. 25, 2002, near the Eveleth-Virginia Municipal Airport.
Five Norway pines and white spruce trees cut to make way for a $250,000, 5.8-acre memorial site for the crash victims were made into lumber to help frame the 1,100-square-foot, three-bedroom Habitat for Humanity home in Hibbing.
Lumber mill operator Conrad Jacobsen of rural Mountain Iron donated sawing and planing of the lumber.
On Monday, teenagers from Iron Range Youth in Action, a youth group involved in community projects across the Range, will deliver about three pickup loads of two-by-fours and two-by-sixes to the building site.
Care-A-Vanners, a group of people that travels across the country helping build Habitat for Humanity homes, will then start working on the Hibbing home.
"It's a chance to take some resources from the Wellstone site and turn it into something good," said St. Louis County Commissioner Keith Nelson, whose district includes the Wellstone historical site.
"It's the kids (Youth in Action) who have done a lot of the work on this project. They deserve a lot of the credit," said Nelson, who has stored about 1,500 square feet of lumber from the five trees at his home.
Wellstone was well known as an advocate for the poor, needy and disenfranchised.
"I really think the late senator would have approved," said Nelson.
The home is expected to be finished by December. Raeanne Baumchen, 24, will live in the home with her 9-year-old son, Ethan.
"I didn't even know about the wood coming from there until somebody at work told me about it. I think it's pretty neat. I'll have something that nobody has," said Baumchen, who works at a kidney dialysis center in Hibbing.
As required of all Habitat for Humanity homeowners, Baumchen already has been putting sweat equity into other Habitat for Humanity homes and her future home.
It's entirely possible that the trees actually caused his death.
Wouldn't the headline make more sense if it went "Trees that killed Wellstone..............."
"And here, as the fireplace mantle, we have the limb that crushed his skull. Notice the beautiful reddish stain............"
Can you please tell my the consequences of framing a house with green lumber?
bump
The homes will be available only to those good communists personally selected by Jimmah Cartah.
I don't see a video pavillion to show clips of the Wellstone political rally, I mean funeral.
When the houses are completed the dedication ceremony will be a great opportunity for another "solemn and respectful memorial service" like the shameful political circus they had a few years ago.
Lesson: Cutting trees down is okay so long as it's to idolize a liberal, and as long as the wood gets used to build a "low-income" house.
Spending a quarter mil on a lib is okay. Spending money on an inauguration of a Republican is bad.
grin...
remind me to put this on my vacation itinerary.
Senator Welfare probably would've objected to the trees being cut down.
BTT!!!!!
"Wellstone was well known as an advocate for the poor, "
Died a millionare, and left all of his money to???
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