BROOKLYN, MI – The Raisin River isn’t very wide or deep as it meanders through farmland a few miles northeast of this town in the Irish Hills in Jackson County. But on land that will become Camp Liberty – intended to become an outdoor, therapeutic haven for wounded military veterans – the scenic river has posed a real topographical challenge for the development of the property. Until now.
Thanks to some extremely generous donations of time and materials by building trades union members and their contractors and suppliers, an old bridge that spans the river has been rehabilitated, opening up a solid pathway between nearby Austin Road and the spot on which Camp Liberty plans to start building on its property.
Iron Workers Local 25 members (and brothers) Dave and Tom Rutledge led the three-month-long effort to rehabilitate the bridge. Their employer, Monarch Welding and Engineering, generously allowed them time off of their jobs to do the work, plus they contributed many hours of their own. Most of the work got done in the final three weeks, and a steady crew of eight or nine volunteers from a variety of trades came out every day to rehabilitate the span and get it ready in time for a Sept. 13 open house at Camp Liberty.
Read more:
https://www.michiganbuildingtrades.org/newspaper/trades-rehabilitate-old-bridge-to-open-camp-liberty-to-vets
