Santa Claus hands out PJ Keating safety vests during a Christmas in July celebration on 7/27/23 that included a tour of the quarry. Photo by Beth David.
By Beth David, Editor
PJ Keating treated a few vanloads of senior to a tour of the quarry, including the famed “lookout” area, a BBQ, and some time with Santa to celebrate Christmas in July on 7/27/23. PJK teamed up with the Acushnet Council on Aging to transport people from the senior center to PJK’s lookout at the quarry.
Then everyone went to the front of the property for a cookout.
Santa was there handing out gifts, including a gift bag with fun stuff. Everyone who wanted one got a bright yellow/green safety vest, too.
Sarah Fitzgerald narrated the tour, telling participants that the hole is two miles long by one mile wide and is 400 feet deep. It has 35 feet of water in it, now, she said, because the quarry is not being mined while the town and PJK work out the details of the permit. Usually, she said, the company will pump out the water as they mine the hole.
Ms. Fitzgerald said the hole has been mined for 120 years, although not as PJ Keating for all that time.
They have pictures, she said of donkeys being used in those early years.
“It’s pretty cool,” she said. “Really impressive.”
Rick Pavao, the manager for the south area, pointed out the different levels along the quarry walls.
The company recently moved the asphalt plant to the front of the property, a controversial move that still does not sit well with residential neighbors, so it can mine to the east.
The PJ Keating asphalt plant is in the distance looking west from the lookout point at the quarry off South Main Street in Acushnet during a tour on 7/27/23. Photo by Beth David.
Mr. Pavao said they have gone as deep as they can go, now they need to widen/lengthen the hole.
The van rode by the different bins with different size stones, from sand to larger rocks, that are created from the material mined from the quarry.
Joanne Thibodeau said she remembers playing near the quarry as a kid, and ice skating in a field alongside the property.
Acushnet Senior Center patrons visit the PJ Keating quarry during a tour of the facility as part of a Christmas in July celebration on 7/27/23. Photo by Beth David.
Paul Lecuyer said he joined the tour because he had never been inside, and he is a neighbor. He looked it up on Google Earth.
“It’s not the same,” said Mr. Lecuyer. “It’s a lot bigger than it looks in the pictures.”
As a neighbor, he said, “I’m not pleased with the quarry.”
He said the dust is the biggest problem, more than the noise, and he is not looking forward to its re-opening.
“The main thing is the asphalt plant so close,” said Mr. Lecuyer.
The idea for the day started in the winter, when PJK teamed up with the COA for a holiday event. Mr. Pavao said they have more events around the holidays and decided they should do something “in the middle.”
“So, we made it into a thing,” he said.
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