MILLSTONE – Six Boy Scouts from Millstone Township have attained the highest rank that can be achieved in the Boy Scouts of America.
Luke DePinho, Jordan Lisnow, Nicholas Meier, Noah Meier, Andrew Raccuglia and Jared Skidmore will officially earn the ran of Eagle Scout during a Court of Honor ceremony on Nov. 30. All six young men are members of Troop 116.
For his Eagle Scout project, Luke designed, organized and led the construction of an outdoor garden classroom in the courtyard of the Millstone Township Elementary School. The classroom area has four raised beds constructed of a durable, maintenance-free material, and each bed is hooked up to an automatic irrigation system, according to Troop 116 representatives.
The project also created a center island with a stone walkway. The center island includes a sitting area with benches that can convert into desks or a picnic table, as well as a sundial, a rain gauge/thermometer and a bird feeder.
“The creation of a working garden area not only provides an aesthetic improvement of the courtyard, but gives students the opportunity to learn about the process of growing plants, the plant life cycle and lessons on the importance of farming and climate sustainability in a hands-on classroom setting,” Luke said.
For his Eagle Scout project, Jordan planned, designed and managed the installation of a safety sign and flower garden at Rocky Brook Park in Millstone Township. The sign Jordan created informs visitors about the proper ages for the use of the playground equipment.
A nearby area was landscaped, rocks and tree branches were removed, the ground was leveled and a flower garden was assembled and framed before it was placed in the ground.
“The flower garden was filled with topsoil and perennial flowers which will provide a pleasing view for those who use the park,” Jordan said.
According to Troop 116, for his Eagle Scout project Nicholas managed the design and construction of three wooden flower/garden boxes and the revitalization of a pre-existing garden box to benefit the residents of the Heritage Village at Elton Corner apartments in neighboring Freehold Township. Senior citizens call the apartment complex home.
“The project entailed building the boxes and securing them with galvanized hardware, bringing 6 yards of topsoil to the site and planting a variety of fall vegetables for the newly formed resident garden club to enjoy,” Nicholas said.
For his Eagle Scout project, Noah planned and managed a project that benefited the senior residents of the Heritage Village at Elton Corner apartments in neighboring Freehold Township.
The project consisted of building and installing three wooden benches to be used by the residents. The benches were constructed of wood with galvanized hardware and installed with concrete footings to ensure longevity, according to Troop 116.
“The benches provide a safe place for the residents to rest,” Noah said. “Many are disabled and were in need of a resting place while walking their dogs, strolling or gardening in the rear of the complex.”
For his Eagle Scout project, Andrew organized and led the construction and installation of a wooden informational kiosk outside the visitors center at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in neighboring Manalapan.
The kiosk was desired by park administrators to conveniently provide information to visitors, especially during the hours the visitors center is closed.
With the help of park administrators, local carpenters, and scout and parent volunteers, Andrew built an informational kiosk that was designed to hold maps and notices of state park events, according to the troop.
For his Eagle Scout project, Jared selected the Laurita Equestrian Center in Plumsted Township and assisted the Reindancer Therapeutic Riding Program.
The equestrian center’s electric fence was not usable and could not be easily repaired, according to Troop 116.
“My task was to make a functioning system for all of the paddocks,” Jared said. “Specific tasks included nailing in insulators on each fence post to hold up the wire, digging trenches under select gates to reach certain stretches of fencing, installing the wire along all the fencing and through every insulator, and installing solar chargers on T-posts and connecting them to ground rods, all of which needed to be hammered five-and-a-half feet into the ground.”