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MILLSTONE: Girl Scouts lauded for community service project

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
   MILLSTONE — Girl Scouts who used state grant money to pay for landscaping improvements they did at the Millstone Community Center were recognized for their efforts at the Township Committee meeting on July 18.
   ”One of the things I like best … is to talk about those people that are important and help our community as volunteers,” Mayor Nancy Grbelja said.
   ”Once again, our Girl Scouts outshine anybody else in the community and have stepped forward to make the community look great, really putting a lot of time and effort in and we really do appreciate it,” Mayor Grbelja said.
   The seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders in Girl Scout Cadette Troop 1765, and the 11th- and 12th-graders in Girl Scout Ambassador Troop 646, combined their efforts to beautify the Community Center by digging up and removing the old shrubs, amending the soil, and painting the wooden flowerbed border. They then planted new shrubs and flowers and cleaned and painted the front retaining wall.
   ”There were times that I passed and saw the girls out there, and cleaning away and getting that wall together,” Mayor Grbelja said. “It really has such a nice, refreshing look.”
   The girls all accomplished the project in time for the Memorial Day parade. Mayor Grbelja noted people who attended the parade no longer had to look at “an eyesore” at the Community Center.
   Joanne Travers, their Girl Scout leader, had approached the township with the girls’ offer of assistance for a community project. The girls worked with Maria Dellasala, the municipal clerk, and used a Clean Communities Grant to fund the project.. The Department of Public Works assisted as well.
   ”The leaders and the Scouts take pride in their community,” Mayor Grbelja said.
   Mayor Grbelja asked Ms. Travers to say a few words and as she came forward she received a round applause from the audience at the council meeting.
   ”I work with a wonderful bunch of girls, both my Cadette troop and my Ambassador troop, (and) without them and their enthusiasm, none of this would have ever happened,” Ms. Travers said.
   The mayor also gave each of the girls an opportunity to speak about their project and talk about their future ones.
   ”We worked very, very hard after school,” said Meghan McQuade of Millstone. “I am very happy with the way it turned out.”
   Olivia Pozza, of Millstone, said the girls enjoyed picking out the color scheme, adding, “I think it turned out pretty good.”
   Erin Magee, of Millstone, said it had been “a lot of fun working on the garden.”
   ”I think it looks really nice now and I’m proud to be a part of it,” Erin said.
   Next the girls from Ambassador Troop 646 expressd their thoughts on the project and offered suggestions for future projects in the community.
   ”We just really took pride in beautifying the community and we thought it was a really good project to fix up the Community Center because we have been wanting to do that for a really long time,” said Anna Travers, of Millstone.
   Isabella Cerri, of Millstone, thanked the Township Committee for the opportunity to make the community look better, and spoke about her next project.
   ”I am working on my Gold Award for Girl Scouts for a senior citizen prom for the Community Center,” Isabella said.
   Jessica Troy, of Millstone, also spoke about her Gold Award project.
   ”For my Gold Award, I am hoping to further embellish the outside of the Community Center with the outside eating area. Once we get that all done, it will look even better.”
   Mayor Grbelja noted that the Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouts, equivalent to the Eagle award in Boy Scouts.
   ”I’m really happy to hear that we have girls that are interested in pursuing the Gold Award… it really takes a lot of dedication and it takes a lot of work,” Mayor Grbelja said.