To The Editor:
I know folks have been wondering what is happening down at the Pakk property in Waitsfield, and we want to update you with how the glacial progress is going. First and foremost, we want to thank the community for their contributions, donations, volunteerism and overall patience with this complicated project. It has been amazing! As of now, the property has been tested for contaminants as required by the state. There was a small amount of asbestos (>1%) that necessitated permits and specific cleanup regulations to be adhered to. Those permits have been submitted and we hope to have clean up done by the end of next week. We want to thank Dick Kingsbury and Casella Waste Management for volunteering their time and equipment to make the cleanup happen. We also want to thank the Mad River Valley Community Fund for funding the cleanup. It could not be done without all of these efforts.
After long consideration on how best to support George Pakk in the future, knowing there is no financing for rebuild, we have been able to use the GoFundMe money to purchase a tiny home from a local couple. Ward and Nancy Smyth graciously sold us their unfinished tiny home at a huge discount and we are grateful for their contribution. The structure itself is sound and tight, however, it does need completing and then modification to hook up to septic, water and electricity. In addition to Ward offering to assist in finishing it, we have been blessed to have a slew of amazing volunteers who are donating their time as well. Thank you so much!
As you may or may not know, this is not your ordinary situation and we are so grateful for the community’s patience and understanding during this time. To keep with respect and privacy, I’ll spare you the details and just say that George has chosen to live on his property in the interim. I am sure you can imagine the additional issues this poses but want to assure you that we are trying hard to mitigate and hope to have stabilized quickly.
One foot in front of the other, slowly.
Erica and Karin Stroem
Waitsfield
