City workers, volunteers replace aging Trojan totem

Troy city employees welcomed a break in

the weather Thursday to remove the rotting totem adorning the front

lawn at the high school. However, they did not anticipate a break

in the crane strap while lifting the newly carved totem donated by

Chapel Cedar Lumber Co.

“We really wanted to have it all done

by the time the kids went back to school Monday,” Public Works

Director, Dave Norman said.

Students, administrators and teachers

were dismissed from class Thursday and Friday for conferences,

giving workers plenty of time to begin the project. Beside Norman,

workers included Bob Boren and Tim Shaver of City Power and Lights

department, and Dennis Dupuis of the City Public Works

department.

Starting things out with a bang, Norman

fired up the chainsaw to cut the base of the totem, while the crane

and strap held the piece upright. Backhoe machinery was brought in

to dig around the existing totem and later break it up to remove it

in pieces.

The totem replacement is larger than

the original. Securing the new totem with the crane strap, laborers

worked tirelessly for more than an hour to pull the totem upright.

The totem rotated out, swung from side to side before it broke a

picnic table and nearly hit the carved Trojan.

The strap finally broke.

“I guess we are done for today,” Norman

said.

The original Trojan will be replaced by

a replicated piece carved by local carver Bill Denton. The original

will be placed on school grounds.