Progress is continuing with the Connellsville Caboose Welcome Center project, supported in part by the Sprout Fund Seed Award.
• The mural is close to being finished and is looking great, featuring images of kayakers and bikers. The Welcome Center sings are also near completion.
• Local retired carpenter and Master Gardener Dave Stupka and his son David have been working very hard to rehab the interior of the caboose, now complete with baseboards and window frames.
• We have been working hard to raise the caboose onto rails. Local CSX Road Mater Gerry Gable has donated ties, spikes, and plates which we will attach to the rails that we have. We are currently researching various crane companies that could possibly lift the caboose onto rails.
The Sprout Fund enriches the Pittsburgh region’s vitality by engaging citizens, amplifying voices, supporting creativity and innovation, and cultivating connected communities. Founded in 2001, Sprout facilitates community-led solutions to regional challenges and supports efforts to create a thriving, progressive, and culturally diverse region. With strong working relationships to many community organizations and regional stakeholders, The Sprout Fund is one of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s leading agencies on issues related to civic engagement, talent attraction and retention, public art, and catalytic small-scale funding.
-Emma Strong
