Builders organize to work on Keystone projects

The Daily Inter Lake

Some contractors and subcontractors are organizing to help people whose building projects were left undone when Keystone Contractors abruptly went out of business last month.

The plan is for them to donate their Saturdays for the next few months to get unfinished homes completed enough so they are no longer a liability to the homeowners.

That means, for example, finishing roofs or foundations "so the homeowners can at least break even between the money they have spent and the value of the property," said organizer Chris Zarcone of Any Home Service Inc.

"Local contractors have been dealt a heavy blow by Keystone, but I think we can turn it around and show people that most of us contractors do care," Zarcone said.

"The amount of people willing to help is just incredible," he said.

Hampton Inn will donate a meeting room for an organizational meeting on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. Someone else has volunteered to make lunches for 100 or so volunteers on Saturdays.

"My idea is to have a public meeting to organize all the contractors and suppliers who are willing to help out," Zarcone said.

Zarcone said he needs some help to get the effort going.

He needs a list of people affected by Keystone so volunteers can organize the contractors and suppliers.

For more information or to volunteer, call Zarcone at 257-9999.

Amy and Richard Ockey, owners of Keystone, are criminally charged in connection with the business.

They reportedly shut their doors, leaving suppliers, subcontractors and employees unpaid and many construction projects unfinished.