Scott Swanson
Though Sunshine Industries hasn’t held a ground breaking ceremony for its new facility on Clark Mill Road yet, that didn’t stop the Navy Seabees from going ahead and breaking some ground last weekend.
The 17 Seabees, who arrived unannounced due to security restrictions, didn’t waste any time hopping onto heavy equipment supplied by Mike Melcher and going to work about noon Saturday, soon after they arrived. Their stay extended through Sunday and some camped locally, Sunshine board member Bob Dalton said.
The project will transform the vacant 2.3-acre parcel across from Melcher Logging into a new headquarters for Sunshine, an organization that serves the developmentally disabled.
Since 2001 Sunshine’s numbers have grown from 28 to more than 60 adults with developmental disabilities, ranging in age from 20 to 60, and the nonprofit organization has outgrown its facilities at 3714 Long St. Sunshine provides vocational training, paid employment, basic life skills training and socialization for its clients. It is funded by government grants, income from work contracts and local contributions.
Clients work in a grounds-keeping crew, confidential shredding service, wood shop, janitorial service and plant nursery. All Sunshine services are available to the public.
Seabees talk with Sunshine Industries’ Bob Dalton, second from right, as their colleagues work in the background.
Sunshine plans to build a 7,680-square-foot main building and 3,000-square-foot woodworking shop and storage facility on the land that it purchased from Melcher last fall.
Dalton said the Seabees have committed to see the project through to the end.
“They’re working to help us control our costs,” he said.
According to Dalton, Capt. Orrin Greene, who works for Weyerhaeuser when not serving with the Seabees, and who led the contingent last weekend, presented the Sunshine project to the Navy.
“They supported it clear through,” he said.
Last weekend the Seabees erected a sediment fence to satisfy environmental requirements before the project could start, then used a grader, bulldozer, shovel and backhoe and a dump truck provided by Melcher to remove the top few inches of soil on the property in preparation for excavation and running utility lines, which Dalton said he expects to happen when the Seabees visit next.
This particular group is from Mobile Naval Construction Battalion 18, headquartered at Ft. Lewis, Wash.
Like last weekend’s, those visits will not be announced. Following the excavation the Seabees will build forms and pour concrete, he said.
Cascade Timber Consulting placed engineering stakes on the property before the Seabees got there, which helped get things rolling as well, Dalton said.
He noted that most of the Seabees are contractors, heavy equipment operators or otherwise involved in the construction field in civilian life.
“They’re excited to be here,” he said. “They’re thankful to have this opportunity instead of doing administrative work. A lot of these guys are equipment operators.”
Dalton said the biggest challenge right now is to come up with funding to keep the Seabees and the project’s general contractor, A2 Construction of Corvallis, moving forward.
He said Sunshine is waiting to hear on several grant applications and Weyerhaeuser’s Santiam Mill (formerly Bauman Mill) is donating the lumber to construct the offices and entrance to the second building and Foster Mill has donated some materials as well.
“Volunteer labor and donations are making this happen,” he said.
For more information on the project, call (541) 367-7404 or visit http://www.sunshineindustriesunlimited.com and click on the “Capital Campaign” button.