from the Grinnell Herald Register 8/9/2010

Current plans suggest McDowell
bowstring bridge may be restored in place

August 9, 2010 (retyped as there is no on-line paper)

The McDowell Bridge, the iron bowstring in the Millgrove Access Wildlife Area, has withstood nature’s 2010 onslaught thus far, continuing to span the North Skunk River in southwestern Poweshiek County. The county and The North Skunk River Greenbelt Association (NSRGA) are negotiating terms under which NSRGA can move forward with proposed restoration of the bridge, damaged last year by an ice jam. NSRGA is also researching what the bridge needs and who can perform the tasks and has scheduled a fundraiser for Saturday, Aug 28, to generate donations to fund restoration.

Julie Bowers, executive director of NSRGA, says the organization has received opinions from several engineers that the bridge may not need to be lifted from its piers and set on dry ground as originally planned while work to restore it is performed. She names Mark Latsch of Spicer Engineering, Saginaw, Mich., and Justin Clausen of Peterson Contractors, Inc. (PCI) of Reinbeck as offering the opinion that the bridge can be restored in place. Vern Mesler, a steel fabricator and expert in historic metals, also from Michigan, held a workshop in restoration of 19th century metal in late June nd also suggested the bridge could be restored in place.

Bowes says NSRGA’s current thinking is that the restoration work could be performed in late fall or early winter when the river is low and the ground firm. The organization is working with engineers to define a scope of work so workers with the requisite qualifications can be found for the project. She notes that PCI, the company that was going to lift the bridge to dry land for restoration, remains interested in bidding on future projects, depending on the scope of work. She adds that Mesler, an expert in old metals, is devising techniques to use on the McDowell bridge’s urgent needs, which include pack rust and riveting.

“It’s different steel than what we’d use today, “ says Poweshiek County Engineer Lyle Brehm of the challenge of restoring the McDowell Bridge. “The steel would have been made under different quality controls that we have today. Restoring it will be an uphill battle, not impossible but uphill.”

“It exposes the people working on the bridge to more danger when the bridge is left in place,” he observes of the current plan not to lift the bridge to nearby ground. “Otherwise you could set it on the ground and work onit at ground level. It will be harder to brace it if it remains in place. And, if things fall apart on you all of a sudden, it falls farther than if the bridge was on the ground. It’s not impossible to do, but it does create additional complications.”

“Julie should be saluted for having the tenacity to continue on with the project,” Brehm says of Bowers.

The Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors and NSRGA discussed drafts of possible leases granting permission for NSRGA to work on county land at several supervisor meetings in July. Bowers expects to be returning to the supervisors soon with another draft. NSRGA’s board met on Aug. 5 to vote on the latest draft. The board consists of R.V. Bowes, president,; Bill Bushong, vice president; Lamoyne Gaard, county representative; Diane Eakins, secretary; and Gary Gibson, treasurer.

“My job as county attorney is to insure that we have a lease that will protect the county from liability for what happens during the restoration and repair of the bridge,” explains Michael Mahaffey, Poweshiek County attorney and involved in the negotiations with NSRGA. “The county is not a cross-purposes with NSRGA but, as is the case with any lease, the details have to be worked out.

“it is my position that a lease protects the county but also reflects the true natures of what is happening which is that NSRGA is going to be using public ground and have its agents working on public ground during this period of time,” Mahaffey points out. “As the landlord Poweshiek County needs to make sure that the tenant has liability insurance during the period of the tenancy. If they didn’t have liability insurance and somebody was working out there, there could be some liability on the part of Poweshiek County if there was any kind of unfortunate accident.

“The company that will be working on the restoration and its employees wll assume a certain risk in doing this job,” Mahaffey adds. “The company also needs to be able to show us that they’ve got insurance that will cover their actions during the period of repair and restoration. “

“As to the bridge itself we’re going to sell the bridge to NSRGA during the period of time that the work is being done on the bridge,” Mahaffey continues. “When the work is completed, they’re going to sell it back to us,:

Mahaffey makes the distinction that the bridge in law is personal property while the land around and under it is real property, leading to the lease for the land and sale for a dollar of the bridge.

Bowers plans to appear at this week’s Poweshiek County Conservation Board meeting Aug. 10 to ask the board to make a commitment to allocate resources to the bridge once it is restored.

NSRGA has announced a fund raising event known as Bridge Fest 2010 to be held at John and Gary’s Game Time from noon to midnight on Saturday, Aug. 28. Bowers expects number of musicians will play during the event, including David Zollo and the Body Electric from the Iowa City area, Gordy Sumner from Grinnell also known as Crossroads; CPR of Marshalltown, Supposable Thumbs with Chris Sutliff and other Grinnellians; Flannel which features Ryan Bernemann originally from Grinnell and Scott Cochran; and Thankful Dirt composed of Darren and Molly Matthews from Des Moines. Tickets to the event will cost $15, available at Game Time and The Music Shop, and NSRGA also plans to have an art fair, a flea market, a dunk tank, bake sale and heavy metals recycling along with tee-shirts and cookbooks for sale.

August

Plans go forth for the Bridge Fest 2010. Plans go forth for the engineers scope of work. Two more documents for a purchase of a bridge and the lease of the land have been created and are in the legal eagles hands and the agenda for tomorrows meeting has been created.

Flooding around the bridge again yesterday as I escorted a rep from Silo's and Smokestacks to the area. We couldn't get down there, and I think I scared her with my fast driving on back roads but we ended up at Wagaman Mill. They had been damaged by a log banging through the iron fence into the door and Garnet was happy I called. The rep suggested making them sister's to river fun raising and I spoke with Garnet again about that this morning.

Progress is furthering.!)