Greenfield School

Lane Street Project: thank you, Greenfield School!

Greenfield School returned to Odd Fellows Cemetery in force this morning, clearing weeds, underbrush, and dead limbs from the cemetery’s center. Our relationship with the school’s students goes back three years, and the Knights have become one of our most reliable partners in the reclamation of this sacred space. They bring energy and enthusiasm to the task, and we thank them, their parents, and administrators (especially Assistant School Head Steve Manna, who coordinates and leads the student-volunteers) for their commitment to the cause. Who’s got next?!

Photos courtesy of Steve Manna.

 

Lane Street Project: season 5, workday 6 — chef’s kiss!

What a week for Lane Street Project! Wednesday, Homeschoolers Honoring Ancestors came to learn the history of Odd Fellows Cemetery and carefully clean headstones. Today, Greenfield School students, staff, and family fanned out across the cemetery to cut grass, lop vines, and haul debris for four solid hours. They were joined by the brothers of Beta Beta Beta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and officers of Wilson Police Department, who grilled hotdogs for all volunteers! This is community!

Beta Beta Beta is back and putting in work!

As soon as I arrived, these young men asked for an assignment. With Steve Manna, they cleared the area around the partially collapsed brick vault …

… and installed caution tape to warn others away from the opening.

Flowers for the cemetery’s founder, Samuel H. Vick.

This young lady nearly single-handedly mowed the entire front section, an immediate improvement in the site’s visibility from the street.

Piling debris onto tarps to drag to the curb. Our littlest volunteers had their own wheelbarrow for collecting pinecones and were a tremendous help in cleaning the fence of faded decorations.

In honor of Women’s History Month, flowers for Della Hines Barnes, whose headstone inspired the LSP logo.

The last — and maybe largest — of the big wisteria vines. Photographer Chris Facey gives you some notion of scale.

Cross section of a smaller wisteria vine. The growth rings are 1/2- to 3/4-inch apart.

Breaking for lunch.

Gathering “tumbleweed” to haul out. (Does anyone know the name of this fresh scourge?)

These young men uncovered another vault cover in Odd Fellows!

Hey, Adam Rosenblatt — the Senior Force now have copies of Cemetery Citizens!

Special thanks to Greenfield Assistant Head of School Steve Manna and Greenfield parent/Que Chris Johnson!

Lane Street Project: Greenfield students learn about volunteer opportunities.

Two weeks ago, Lane Street Project participated for the first time in Greenfield School‘s Community Service Fair. Castonoble Hooks and Briggs Sherwood, core members of our beloved Senior Force, spoke to students about the history of Vick and Odd Fellows Cemeteries and about the work we do at Odd Fellows during our clean-up seasons. We hope we inspired students to join us this winter!

Castonoble Hooks regales Greenfield students as Briggs Sherwood looks on.

Thanks to Greenfield librarian Jennifer Johnson for the invitation and to the school’s communications coordinator for the photo!