PCA Doubles Garage Size

UW-Platteville student builders who constructed the garage addition.

PCA, UW-Platteville Agriculture Faculty and Students, along with donors collaborated on doubling the size of PCA’s garage during the fall of 2021. The original garage was built on the site of two railroad coal bins and, hence, became a 4-coal bin garage. The garage addition was necessary to effectively store PCA’s additional equipment needed to support our growing number of volunteers and trail amenities. Adding electricity enables us to maintain our chainsaws, recharge our battery- operated equipment and other maintenance equipment. Automated garage door openers allow our senior volunteers to access the equipment more easily.

This project, headed up by Clay Shaffer (Deputy Coordinator), required $25,000

worth of materials plus labor to construct the addition. Max Anderson and Spider Fromader put up $10,000 in challenge match funds to incent other contributions. Raffle proceeds added another $5,000. Paul and Marsha McDermott and a James E. Dutton Foundation grant added $2,500 each. The Platteville Community Fund grant (Hartshorn Trust) provided $1,500. One thousand dollars each was donated by Tri- Com Inc., Bev Loy and Cindy Tang. Other contributors included Gordon and Susan Gimski, Dena and Bill Grutz, James and Jeanne Peters, Bruce and Linda Richardson, Myron and Sheila Tranel, Linda and Rod Thomas, Ken and Lois Kamps, Dave and Ellen Carnahan, and Mark and Lynn Meyers. Wayne Tillotson (All Phase Electric & Controls, LLC) provided significant in-kind services to install the electricity. Eastman Cartwright and Digman Construction also provided in-kind materials and services.

Garage Donors & Volunteers, Back Row L-R: Spider Fromader, Tom Loefellholtz, Bob Digman, Scott Budd, Clay Shaffer, Wayne Tillotson; Front Row L-R: Gene Weber, Marsha McDermott, Grace Milanowski, Lynn & Mark Meyers, Paul McDermott

Clay and UW-P Leaders, L-R: Duane Elfering (UW-P), Clay Shaffer (PCA), David Heimerdinger (UW-P)

Dave Heimerdinger and Duane Effering (UW-Platteville Agriculture faculty) led an awesome group of UW-Platteville students providing the complementary labor to construct the addition. Students included Wyatt Bancroft, Collin Bays, Lucas Boomgarden, Tanner Evenstad, Scott Gambon, Caleb Griesbach, Dylan Herbrand, Ryan Hoppenjan, John Huntley, Justin Johnson, Ryan Kahlscheuer, Ryan Langmeier, Colin Leis, Jacob Mathias, Blake McCann, Elizabeth McGuire, Rhett Reinicke, Parker Richter, Bailey Shea, Noah Shore and Thomas Vacek. Clearly, we are very appreciative of their efforts as their volunteer labor was valued at approximately $20,000 to $25,000 given to our community.

Grace Milanowski (PCA Coordinator), Clay Shaffer and our PCA volunteers – Wayne Tillotson, Spider Fromader, Wayne Schambow, Jeff Becker, Dave Carnahan, Tom Loeffelholz, Paul McDermott, Steve Beisner, Gordy Gimski, Scott Bud, Bob Gates and Gene Weber – reorganized the newly expanded garage.

PCA is, as always, thankful to the tremendous community collaboration in making this and so many good things happen for Platteville. Everyone giving a helping hand makes these efforts doable!