It鈥檚 not a big deal, Kelly Rodman says.聽
Rodman is responsible for the several benches and a chair that dot the walkway around Nexen Beach.聽
He finds pieces of waste wood in the course of his work running an excavator, brings them home, and gives them new life.聽
Some pieces became a sturdy picnic table in his backyard, others he formed into the benches for the waterfront.聽
鈥淚f I find some nice wood, I bring it home, rather than throw it in the bin,鈥� said Rodman, 52.聽
He started making benches for the waterfront in about 2012. Working with his stepchildren, he began with a single bench and a chair that he placed by the dilapidated dock on the southeast side of the beach.聽
聽鈥淓very time we went down there, you鈥檇 see somebody sitting on them,鈥� Rodman said. 鈥淚t made me feel pretty good and made me want to build more.鈥�
So he did.
On Sunday, surveying his handiwork, Rodman said the seats aren鈥檛 in as good shape as they were when he installed them. Weather and frequent use has taken a toll on the beach furniture, but a young couple enjoying time at Nexen that day didn鈥檛 seem to mind as they sat on the original bench to take in the ocean view.聽
Rodman has carved the date and the names of each of his stepchildren into the benches 鈥� ones for Olivia, 11, Dylan, 9, and Malcolm, 6.
He has never sought recognition for his contributions, which he says are 鈥渘ot a big deal.鈥� 聽
A few weeks ago, a bench went missing, one that had his and his girlfriend Tanya鈥檚 names carved into it.聽
The bench was behind the sandy part of the beach, he said.
鈥淢e and Malcolm put it in there,鈥� he said, adding that they dug the bench into the ground so it wouldn鈥檛 have been as easy to move as some of the others.
He took to social media to try to find out what happened, but the bench seems to have vanished.聽
Malcolm was upset at the theft, but it was a life lesson for the boy.聽
鈥淗e was a little choked, but I told him some people do that stuff,鈥� Rodman said. 鈥淚 told him I am glad the other ones stayed down there for three years now.鈥澛�
The theft hasn鈥檛 deterred Rodman from continuing his work.聽
鈥淣o, no, no. If I still get scrap stuff I will bring it down there,鈥� he said adamantly. 鈥淵ou betcha.鈥澛�
He noted he may make future benches much harder to remove.
And if his contributions have to go once construction is in full swing on the oceanfront development, that won鈥檛 bother him either, Rodman said.聽
鈥淚f they鈥檝e got to go, they鈥檝e got to go,鈥� he said.聽
鈥淭hat is just the way it is. Until then, if somebody enjoys them, it kind of makes me happy, and that is what they are there for.鈥澛�
