Published: July 04, 2009 12:21 am      

Scouts’ projects benefit Jackson Township

Three Boy Scouts with Troop 204 in Jackson Township are proud of where they live and will be showing off their community to others during the annual Jackson Heritage Festival July 17-19.

Benjamin Grove and Keith Henry will split their time between helping their troop with its booth and helping vendors assemble and disassemble their booths.

Brad Vermileon will be devoting all of his time to the troop’s booth, where there will be a variety of games for children.

The three are among seven Scouts in the troop, sponsored by the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Company, who have completed massive projects to better the community as part of becoming Eagle Scouts.

Benjamin, who is environmentally minded, worked to keep area waterways clean.

The Vinco resident and his helpers cleaned two unnamed streams that flow through the Vinco area and raised awareness about the risks of pouring hazardous substances into storm drains.

Benjamin, who will be a senior in the fall at Central Cambria High School, said they walked a mile along each stream, picking up litter and items such as tires and appliance parts.

It’s important that the streams remain clean to support aquatic life such as salamanders and tadpoles, said the 17-year-old.

The other half of his project was painting 42 storm sewer openings in the Vinco area with the warning “No Dumping” to keep people from pouring oil, paint or other hazardous substances into the lines, he said.

Benjamin, who completed his project in September 2007, said his crew used yellow spray paint and a stencil provided by the township to paint the sewers.

Benjamin, an active member of St. John Vianney Roman Catholic Church near Vinco, said he couldn’t have done the project without the help of his family and troop.

Keith’s project, which he completed in August, was painting the 129 fire hydrants in Jackson Township.

The fireplugs had not been painted for eight years and were in need of a fresh coat of paint, said the Mundys Corner resident.

“I figured by painting them, it would brighten up the community and make them more noticeable during an emergency,” said the 17-year-old.

The Jackson Township Water Authority provided all the materials he needed for the project.

Keith said he couldn’t have painted all the fireplugs with the help of his family and troop.

“The biggest reason for completing the project was to help the community,” said Keith, also an active member of St. John Vianney.

Keith, who will be a senior in the fall at Central Cambria High School, is looking forward to the Jackson Heritage Festival.

“The festival unites the community,” he said.

Brad, a Mundys Corner resident, constructed a serenity garden at his church, St. John Vianney.

The large, triangular garden is located near the rectory and features a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, said Brad, who will be senior in the fall Central Cambria High School.

Landscaping stone was used to outline the garden with various types of flowers, shrubs and crosses dotting the interior, said the 17-year-old.

“I wanted to give something back to my church,” he said about why he did the project.

“It’s something that adds to the parish. People can go there in evenings to sit and relax.

“The most important part is that it’s my church. I was baptized there and made my First Holy Communion there.”

The garden, which was completed in September, also is a tribute to the longtime pastor, the Rev. Paul Robine, who is retiring soon, he said.

The pastor’s retirement date is July 22, said Patty Rager, church secretary.

Harper Coal Co., of the Mundys Corner area; Adam’s County Market, Nanty Glo; and Harbor Freight Tools in Richland Township, donated materials for the garden, he said.

A parishioner and an assistant scoutmaster for the troop, Karen Whited, refurbished the statue of Mary, which was in storage and had been replaced by a new statue of Mary, he said.

Brad also said he couldn’t have done the project without his family, troop and a neighbor, Jim McGough.

Rager said the projects of the three Scouts were good for the township and the church.

“We are proud of the boys for their accomplishments,” she said.