My Fairgrounds! Volunteer Profile: Paul Jacoby
Before becoming a Berkshire resident, Paul Jacoby (originally from Allentown, PA) lived for twenty years in Hawaii. He was a volunteer at the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden in Kaneohe on the island of Oahu for 19 years. (With 400 acres, this is Oahu’s largest garden.) Their Botanical Garden staff estimates that he cleared about 35 acres of ground during that time.
Paul and his wife moved to Sandisfield after her retirement seven years ago to be near their three grandchildren. Paul was looking for a similar activity here and, because he enjoys working outdoors, participating in the renovation of the Great Barrington Fairgrounds made perfect sense.
Paul’s first project was clearing brush from alongside the fences and now he is on the team tearing down the old cowshed in order to make room for the new timber framed structure. Paul shows up like clockwork and works steadily. As he painstakingly disassembled the old cowshed, he was careful to preserve the re-usable wood, carefully sorting it to be put to use somewhere on the property. It is this kind of respect for the history of the land and the Fairgrounds that is at the heart of everything that happens at GBFG.
What inspires Paul is to “see the Fairgrounds coming back from the dead” and the many projects planned for the site that will make GBFG an asset to the community.
Paul has proven himself to be a real asset to the community as well. The climate and flora may be quite different from Oahu’s but, given his track record, he will surely have a great impact on our 57 acres!
Thank you, Paul! You set the pace for all of us!