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Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD In the city's Maple High Six Corners neighborhood, teams of volunteers are having a little competition on Chester Street: who will be able to finish a Habitat for Humanity home first. The two homes are part of a series of projects in which the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity organization is currently involved. The local chapter is will be reaching a milestone of building its 35th home in August and will be featured as part of the story on the PBS program "This Old House." The two homes on Chester Street are in various states of completion. One home is being finished, while the other house has an eight-week schedule, according to Sarah Tsitso, the chapter's resource development and communications director. Over 100 volunteers will be rotated in and out of the site to complete the job. On a recent rainy day a team from Lenox in East Longmeadow was working on the Chester Street home with the eight-week schedule. Cleveland Burton, the project leader from Lenox, said it was the first time the company, known world-wide for its industrial cutting tools and blades, had participated in a Habitat project. "It's very exiting," Burton said. York Mayo, a long-time Habitat volunteer introduced the two homeowners Veronica Castro who will be owning 6 Chester St. and Janet Nieves who is working on 12 Chester St. Each homeowner will donate about 300 hours of labor or "sweat equity" to their home. "Each person has a part to play and when you add them up you have a home," Mayo said. The local Habitat organization will be part of a story arc on the popular PBS series "This Old House" to be broadcast in October. On May 9 the cast and crew of the program came to the ReStore Home Improvement Center in Springfield to shoot a segment for the series. ReStore has recently dismantled a 1,900 square foot home in Weston for recycling through its store. Kevin O'Connor the host of "This Old House" explained that, although the program has featured segments about recycling building materials, the recycling of a house was a first for the show. Habitat for Humanity is part of the program as well as the local organization buys some of its materials at ReStore, Tsitso explained. Hardwood floors for one of the Chester Street homes were purchased at the ReStore, she noted. The local chapter is always looking for volunteers. To find out more, call 739-5503. | ||||||
