KOCSIS IMPROVES TURF & DRAINAGE AT SHELDON TOWN PARK

Jeremy Kocsis of Troop 474 in Bennington led a community service project that saw replacement of the mulch at the town of Sheldon's playground. The surface had become overgrown, so several inches of soil had to be removed.

There was no existing drainage system, so Jeremy and a group of volunteers installed drain pipes, followed by a few inches of gravel, landscaping fabric and finally playground mulch.

It was an extensive project that saw the use of an excavator and skid steer. Jeremy also procured donations of all supplies, including 18 tons of stone!

COTTMAN PROJECT HELPS GODFREY'S POND

Spencer Cottman of Troop 61016 earned the rank of Eagle Scout. For his Eagle service project, Spencer marked the trails at Godfrey’s Pond. He also created an updated map of the land.

The property is located in central Genesee County and consists of 235 acres of land and 35 acres of water, both stream and spring fed. There are numerous rolling hills, woodlands and open meadows providing excellent recreation and wildlife habitat and a variety of hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty, terrain and length.

BEN CHATLEY HONORS VETERANS

Inspired by a trip to Arlington National Cemetery where he was fortunate enough to be chosen to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ben Chatley of Cambria Troop 8 oversaw the construction of a memorial garden at Cambria Town Park.

It was no small undertaking as you see in the photo: A flagpole was installed, a concrete walkway was laid down, concrete benches were erected and a massive, 5-ft. tall boulder was brought to the site and engraved with a memorial to the men and women who served our nation.

DREW PAGE BRINGS CEMETERY TO LIFE

Drew Page, a member of Avon Troop 26, became a fourth-generation Eagle Scout with a worthy project. Bronson Hill Cemetery on Bronson Hill Road in the Town of Avon saw major improvement thanks to the efforts of Drew and his fellow scouts.

Bronson Hill Cemetery was established in 1811 and closed in 1908. Only two burials have taken place since the closing: For a child who died in 1931, whose family plot was in the cemetery, and for a person associated with the cemetery caretaking, who was buried there in 1989.

Drew led thorough clean-up and landscaping efforts, including pruning the trees and removing vines, clearing out a brush-infested section, removal of a decrepit wood fence, installation of two split rail corner posts to define the cemetery boundary, and elimination of the weeds surrounding the cemetery’s largest monument. The improvements were crowned with the installation of a new redwood sign.

ANDREW SYKES BUILDS LEAN-TO AT LETCHWORTH

Troop 4074's Andrew Sykes (who was one of our council's Junior Assistant Scoutmasters at the 2013 National jamboree) recently became an Eagle Scout. For his Eagle project he oversaw the construction of a lean-to at Letchworth State Park on the Finger Lakes Trail where Trail 21 goes in. 

JACOB DAWSON BRINGS DIGNITY TO THE DEAD

Jacob Dawson of Cambria Troop 8 Dawson spearheaded an Eagle Scout project that gave some much-needed respect to some of Niagara County's long-deceased.

He knew of the small cemetery on Beach Ridge Road in Pendleton that had some of the headstones broken off their bases. Dawson told the local press “I wanted to put up a plastic sign with the name of the cemetery, the people buried there, and some of the history of the cemetery. I also wanted to plant two trees on either side of the sign along with daffodils around the sign.”

With help from the scouts of Troop 8, he raised the headstones that were buried by grass and took the stones that were in a pile in the cemetery (courtesy of a poorly-intentioned local farmer who had used the headstones as his personal sidewalk stones) and placed them in a raised bed with a wooden frame.

After decades of their mistreatment -- they were forgotten souls -- Jacob brought dignity to the dead.

MATT PRAWEL BRINGS IMPROVEMENTS TO CAMP RAINBOW

Eagle Scout Matt Prawel, a member of Troop 35 in Medina, spent several days working with his fellow scouts at The Arc's of Orleans County's Camp Rainbow. Prawel and his friends made some much needed and welcome upgrades to the Camp. With the assistance of Stanton Signs in Medina and the Town of Yates, Prawel had a new sign installed by the roadside.  Prawel partnered with Greg Stanton in designing and creating the sign, and the Town of Yates donated their payloader to remove the old sign and install the new one.

Prawel and his crew also rebuilt and repainted the dozen or so picnic tables in the pavilion area, replaced an old wooden sandbox with a new one, and sanded and repainted the gate and fence near the front of the property.  Prawel raised the money for the project by asking family, friends, and local businesses for donations. 

The Arc of Orleans County is extremely thankful for all of the hard work that Prawel and his team did to improve Camp Rainbow!