Just puttering around
Local men hope to find a space where people can enjoy creative pursuits
TRURO, N. S. — Apartment life sounded good to Jim Shand – except for the fact he’d lose his workshop.
Now, he and his friend Orville Pulsifer are hoping they can get enough people together to set up a community space where people can get together to work on hobbies, fix things and just putter.
“Orville had to sell his farm and he doesn’t have a place to work on things now,” said Shand. “We looked at each other and said, ‘I bet there are others who have the same problem.’ We decided to see if there’s enough interest to make a nonprofit, do-it-yourself space feasible.”
They envision a space where people can store their tools and use them when they want to work on something or they have the option to use shared tools. People would pay a fee and have 24/7 access.
“I would have been out of my house a couple of years ago if a place to putter was available,” said Shand. “I have a small shed now, but before I become incapacitated I’d like to move into a place without the maintenance.”
He makes decorative swords from swordfish bills, which re- quires a lot of sanding, making it too for indoors. He also makes devices for grading lobster and is developing a device for tightening skates more easily.
The men have tentatively called their project Boomer Haven, as they expect many of the people who would be interested are of the baby boomer generation.
“Along with a chance to work on things, this would give people a chance to get out and meet others with similar interests, and maybe develop new interests,” said Shand. “Having a place to putter also helps combat isolation.”
People are invited to stop by the Patterson Room at the Truro library on Feb. 7, between 3 and 5 p.m. to discuss the idea.
For more information, visit Boomer Haven online at https:// www.boomerhaven.org/or call 902-893-7138.