So why are all those picnic tables down by the greenhouses at Sunny Meadow? We moved them for an event last week, and the remaining tables on the site will follow. There’s a little history behind why we gather them there.
Before 2025, COSS would also bring tables from Heart Pond and other open spaces across town, usually giving us eight to ten to work on. Most were built and donated by scout troops. We used to have five troops; now we have three, and their donations have given the community years of use.
Once donated, those wooden tables need ongoing care. COSS would repair them, sand off graffiti, repaint them, and return them to open spaces across town. It was a practical way to preserve the Scouts’ generosity and help stretch town dollars. The town has been gradually moving toward metal tables, which cost $1,000 or more each, so keeping the wooden ones useful helps while replacements compete with other budget priorities.
That townwide repair work was suspended in 2025, and we now focus on the tables at Sunny Meadow. We would be happy to help with tables from other sites again if the opportunity returns and we can access our shops.
For now, we’ll have four instead of ten, but we could handle ten with ease. Tables get plenty of use and weather, and a few have even been stolen from Heart Pond over the years. Giving them a little care was a worthwhile community effort. Anyway, that’s why they’re there, and I wish we had more!