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Grand Champion 
Robert Long
Tecumseh, ON
Also First Place winner in this category for the Canada Region
Special Gathering Place
The relatives and friends gathered in Robert
and Pat Long's lawn for Sunday mass last
August saw only the beautiful screened sun
porch and deck that supported the alter.
They did not think of the cosmetic problem
that the porch concealed.
Robert explains, "The deck/sunroom is
a result of an attempt to remove and rebuild
around an old above-ground pool hole which
had a concrete walk poured around it. An
ugly thing it was!"
So, using his Wood-Mizer LT40
Hydraulic, Robert cut 4,000 board feet
of cedar for the frame, flooring, seating,
railings and doors for the 1,400 squarefoot
project. "We could have removed the
concrete, but we hid the mess by using it
as part of the foundation for the deck,"
according to Robert. 
Last summer, 125 family members
spent a long weekend gathered around the
sunroom and deck.
"We hosted a family reunion," Robert
says. "We spent the long weekend camping,
eating, singing, and recalling the good ol'
days. The deck was a big hit. In fact, our
cousin, a Roman Catholic priest, said a family
mass on the deck on Sunday."
The Long's sunroom looks out to the
east and overlooks trees and lawn on the
family's three acres of property. Robert cut
the wood and built the sunroom, his wife
painted and sealed the wood and designed
and made the upholstery. 
As for the LT40, Robert says, "I love
my Wood-Mizer and take very good care
of it. I keep it well tuned and in good
condition. It was my gift to me when I
retired from teaching years ago. Time has
passed so fast since I retired, mostly due to
the mill and my small business of custom
cutting for others and the good times I
have working with those who have a need
for my services." |
