Chapter 535 - Vet With MS Needs Assistance

[boardman]

A veteran who lives off Tyler Foot Road has an advanced case of multiple sclerosis. He needs help getting much needed repairs to his house and property. Dale served in the Navy toward the end of the Vietnam War and later in the Marines. An informal group, including members of the Marine Corps League, Friends of Nevada County Military, Vietnam Vets and Nevada City Elks has gotten together to give Dale a hand.

The project can be divided into three major parts; clearing brush around the house, making needed repairs to the house and resurfacing his driveway.

Dale’s gravel driveway is steep and in poor condition. His mail carrier will no longer deliver his mail up to his house. Dale is a quadriplegic confined to a powered wheelchair, and very limited in his ability to get around. He can no longer go down the driveway to pick up his mail. Because his medicine and much of his food is delivered by mail, it is important that the mail carrier be able to drive up his driveway. At the moment, the Postmaster at Nevada City (a great guy!) is personally taking Dale’s mail all the way out to his house on the ridge. But that can’t go on forever, so we need to get his driveway fixed.

The house is in need of a fair amount of work and the brush around his house is overgrown, creating an unsafe situation in case of fire and also encroaching on the driveway.

We are looking for volunteers who can help clear brush around Dale’s house and along the driveway. Most of the work can be done with weed whackers (with a blade) and clippers. Once we get the brush cut we’ll drag it into piles and burn it. If this is something you can help us with, please drop me a note (ddinmont2@earthlink.net) or give me a call (265-4878) and let me know if you are available weekdays or weekends or both. We are hoping to schedule this work over the next two or three weeks, weather permitting.

We are also looking for people with carpentry, electrician and plumbing skills who can help work on the house. John Bynes is heading up this effort. If you have such skills and time to help, please send me a note (ddinmont2@earthlink.net) or give me a call (265-4878) and let me know what skills you have and if you are available weekdays or weekends or both.

Thanks for your support.

Fred