Gardeners and others who frequent the East Windsor Township Community Garden will have a place to get out of the sun, thanks to the efforts of Boy Scout Cameron Watkins.
Cameron, who is a member of Boy Scout Troop 59, has proposed building a shade structure over a bench at the Community Garden off Disbrow Hill Road.
Cameron, 15, outlined his project before Mayor Janice S. Mironov and members of the Township Council in preparation for submitting his proposed Eagle Scout project to Boy Scout authorities.
Cameron said he knows from firsthand experience, having worked at the Community Garden, that it is hot and there is nowhere to get out of the sun. The garden is in an open field.
“The people I talked to at the Community Garden mentioned it,” he said. “A shade structure would given them relief from the sun and improve the aesthetics. There are no trees to provide shade or anything.”
The shade structure Cameron is proposing to build would be 8 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 6 feet deep, and it would have a full roof to provide shade over the bench.
Council members were receptive to Cameron’s proposal and commended him on his presentation.
“That’s a great idea,” Councilman Marc Lippman said, adding it was obvious Cameron put a lot of time into the project and the report that accompanied the presentation.
Council members Denise Daniels, Alan Rosenberg and Perry Shapiro also praised Cameron on his proposed project.
The shade structure “has been on everyone’s list. People will be very happy. Thank you,” Daniels told Cameron.