gets new rope course When local Boy Scout Noah Breske needed assistance with his Eagle Scout service project, he turned to SMECO. In March we donated labor The SMECO team that helped reinstall the Dee of and materials to realize his St. Marys mast. Pictured are Wayne Gray, Daniel goal of a low ropes course Harding, Kevin Smith, Zach Merchant, Dale and team building course Beckham, Chris Drury, James Hewitt, Kila Mills, at Kings Landing Park in Scott Horn, Mike Emory, and Ron Derby. (Photo by Rob Hurry, Calvert Marine Museum) Huntingtown. Breske, an eighth-grader at Calvert Middle School, SMECO finishes the job Jeremy Green trims recruited other Scouts to a post for the low remove the overgrown ropes course. on Solomons skipjack basketball and tennis courts at Kings Landing. When park SMECO returned to Calvert Marine Museum in March to leader Melinda Whicher suggested a low ropes course, finish the restoration of the Dee of St. Marys skipjack, to the Scout approached area businesses for donations of help get the vessel ready for the 2016 sailing season. money and materials. A team of nine SMECO employees cut and set poles for the course on March 21. The Dee, built in Piney Point in 1979, saw 10 years of service as a commercial oyster fishing boat. Now Thanks go out to all the employees who assisted: Joe the Solomons museum uses the skipjack as a floating DiNatale, Wayne Fowler, Jeremy Green, Jacob classroom to educate Moore, Joe Patterson, Jerone Parker, Travis Sparks, children about the history of Tony Suttle, and Brian Thomas. the Chesapeake Bay. Last fall, crews from the Co-op and from Southern Maryland Crane Rental took down the boats 76-foot mast. The Patuxent Small Craft Guild and the Dees crew cleaned and refinished the wood during the winter, replacing most of the rigging and hardware. In March we once again used our expertise in moving wooden poles, this Standing on the ground in the low ropes course are Boy Scout Noah Breske, Travis Sparks, Tony Suttle, SMECO and Southern time to reinstall the mast. Joe Patterson, Jerone Parker, Brian Thomas, Jacob Maryland Crane lift the The Dee will resume public Moore, and Jeremy Green. In the top row are Wayne Dees mast into place. sailing trips in May. Fowler and Joe DiNatale.