Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.   Last Thursday, two teams of teen workers joined forces to turn Chipeta Park into the jewel of Nederland, with groomed paths, new benches, a new fishing pier and a well-cared for gleam. But more than aesthetics, the park will now be now be available to those people who have mobility issues."

"The Community Church runs the Rocky Mountain Mission program, which hosts groups of teenagers from around the country, to do service work here. This year five groups will help local senior citizens and complete other projects around town." The TEENS Inc. Youth Corps began in 2005 and has employed teens from 14-19 in the summer to work on local projects as well as being available for hire.

The Presbyterian Church teen group has been part of a group of churches all over the country that enables groups of teams to live and work in other communities. They have helped local senior citizens and completed major projects around town.

Wearing the signature red shirt, the groups worked around the park and the pedestrian bridge area. TEENS Inc. supervisors of the Youth Corps Program Cait Healy and Stefani Davidson gathered with the teens early in the morning, leading them in a few stretches to get the blood flowing and the muscles breathing. Their job for the day was to spread crusher fines, a finely crushed stone mix that is the byproduct of gravel operations, often used in trail surfacing. The substance is heavy. The teens had their work cut out for them.

While they worked on forming the trails, Jeff Fruth worked on completing a new pier at the kids’ fishing pond, donating time and equipment. The design included a larger accessibility from the path, allowing for wheelchairs to get the pond.

Contractor Heath Dillon donated the large rocks that line the far bank of the pond, protecting the new path that has been cut and filled for ADA requirements.

“This is huge,” said Nederland Public Works employee. “It has been in the works for six months. I love the co-operation among the organizations.”

Nicki Dunn of the Nederland Public Works street and sidewalk maintenance says she has been watching senior groups trying to get to the park, and it hasn’t always been easy. “Let’s get disabled people from the parking lot to the pond, and to the bridge, enable them to enjoy more places. Until now, people have been limited to going to the pavilion. We want everyone to be happy in Chipeta Park.”

Dunn says they will install eight new benches and two picnic tables to complete the project.

A large aspen stump poked from the dirt in the old path, Becky Johnston picked up a shovel and began whacking away at the shrubbery that grew from its roots.

Becky lives in Nederland and says she really likes the job, but is sore at night.

Presbyterian group leader Jim Reis says the groups this week are from San Antonio, Texas; Sterling, Colorado and Montana. They love working in Colorado, that it is a great opportunity to be here. There were a total of 15 workers in all.

Each group works for four days and enjoys one day adventuring with rafts or at RMNP, and they gather each night to build community and connect their spirituality to their purpose in giving back to the world.

When the teens are not working on town projects, they help senior citizens garden, mow their grass and haul wood and old appliances off their property.

(Originally published in the June 28, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)