By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE – The Township Committee has recognized a Millstone Township resident who has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Alexandra Sosa, who is a member of Troop 21, earned the award after she organized a research library at Millstone’s Thomas Baird Homestead on Baird Road. The Gold Award is the highest achievement in the Girl Scouts.
Alexandra, who is a junior at Red Bank Regional High School, Little Silver, was recognized for her accomplishment by the governing body on May 18. She was presented with a plaque from Mayor Bob Kinsey on behalf the committee.
According to Kinsey, Alexandra cataloged books by title, topic and author, created a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet reference guide that helps visitors to the Baird Homestead find what they are looking for, and created a leather-bound notebook that contains author biographies, quotes and portraits.
“Ms. Sosa’s well-planned project ultimately produced a high quality, functional community service,” Kinsey said. “Student historians in the community will benefit from her efforts.”
The project took about 90 hours to complete, according to the young woman.
“I categorized these historical books in the Baird Homestead and it was a lot of fun,” Alexandra said. “I got to organize them and in doing so, I learned more about the books and the authors and it really helped me connect with the Baird Homestead in a way.”
For Alexandra, the most interesting aspect of the project was finding notes in the books from people who owned the volumes in the early 1900s. She added that she and her fellow girl scouts built a bookshelf for the library.
The committee also honored five Millstone Girl Scouts from Troop 1765 for their service to the community.
High school seniors Jennifer Travers, Olivia Pozza, Erin Magee, Gabrielle Alves and Meredith McAfee received certificates of appreciation for beautifying the flower bed at the Millstone Township Community Center, Stagecoach Road, and building six bluebird boxes at the Baird Homestead.
Jennifer, Olivia and Erin attend Allentown High School, Gabrielle attends the Peddie School in Hightstown and Meredith attends Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Flourtown, Pa.
“We decided to start the bluebird trail because bluebirds have been leaving Millstone; their predators have been getting them,” Erin said. “So we started making the birdhouses specifically for them. The hole is exactly 1.5 inches and only the bluebird will fit through it. The house is angled so the predators cannot go on it ahead of them. And they like being in the grasslands, so that is where we had (the birdhouses) around the Baird Homestead.”
“We also found out that farmers love bluebirds because they don’t eat crops,” Olivia said. “So it was a shame they were being eaten by predators and being taken away from Millstone.”
According to Township Historian Joann Kelty, one bluebird has already been spotted at one of the birdhouses.