MONTGOMEREY: Girl Scouts plan to clean up park

By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
   MONTGOMERY— Residents will be able to enjoy a revamped park this spring, thanks to Montgomery Girl Scout Troop 60475.
   The junior Girl Scouts are giving back to the community with their “Dream Makeover Montgomery Park” project where they will spruce up the park to earn a Bronze Award.
   The girls will fix areas that have been neglected over the years to make the park more enjoyable for citizens. They plan on staining the concession stand and renovating the bathrooms by repairing the mirrors and plumbing. In addition, they want to repaint the bathrooms to make them look nicer.
   The troop aims to remove the graffiti from the tunnels connected to the swing sets along with repainting the garbage cans in a more artistic fashion by using stencils. They also want to further enhance the park’s beauty by planting flowers, shrubs and trees.
   Troop leader Michel Parise is proud of her scouts and the great effort they are putting into this project.
   ”These girls are very aggressive — the more they talk about it, the bigger the project gets,” said Ms. Parise. “They are passionate about it and they are going to get the job done.”
   To fund the project, some girls are reaching out to local gardens and landscapers for donations of flowers, shrubs and trees. Other troop members are asking hardware stores for donations of stain and other items.
   The girls have reached out to the Parks Department and the Recreation Department. They have also made announcements to other Girl Scout troops in Montgomery, asking them to get involved and help with the cleanup. The troop plans on meeting with the parks director to share their ideas and collaborate on what else the park needs.
   Their ultimate goal is to complete “Dream Makeover Montgomery Park” by May 1 so people can enjoy the park in the spring. If the project is completed by the deadline, the troop’s efforts will be recognized at a end of May bridging ceremony —an annual event where girls move up to the next level of Girl Scouts.
   The girls gathered for their first meeting in January and ultimately voted to clean up the park for the community as their project to attain their Bronze Award —an optional award that Girl Scouts can earn as a troop at the junior level.
   Upon completion, their project log will be submitted to the Girl Scout Council in September where it will be reviewed and signed off — officially making Troop 60475 the rightful owners of the Bronze Award.