Archive: Around Town

A group of boy scouts led by Eagle Scout candidate Toby Green were drilling holes in concrete Saturday morning, preparing to erect siding on a concrete slab outside Lansing High School.  When finished, the structure will be a covered bicycle rack.  Green, who bikes to school himself, says he'll do it more often when there is a dry place to park it.

"The school already has a bike rack, but it's not covered, so if it rains it deters me from biking," Green says.  "If your bike gets wet you have to re-oil the chains.  It's sort of a pain.  I know some of the faculty also bikes to school, so I thought we'd make a covered bike rack and hopefully more people will bike to school."

Green designed the shed in Sketchup, a 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) modeling program, then presented his design to school officials.  They liked the idea and gave him the OK.  The next part of the project was to solicit donations of money and supplies.  Home Depot nd Cayuga Lumber donated lumber.  A few weeks ago a concrete slab was poured near the front of the pool side of the high school building.  Erecting the framing was Saturday's project.  Next Green will present a budget to the School Board for roofing and siding.

"We're going to get blue sheet steel siding," he says.  "Some of the dugouts are blue, so we're going to have a similar design here.  The school is going to get those in the future, and we'll have another work day and put them on and we should be finished."


Ultimately Eagle Scout projects are about leadership, and that certainly is a big part of the experience for Green.  When it's almost time for a work session he sends an email blast to troop members asking for volunteers.  About ten showed up Saturday, along with parents and scout leaders.  Anyone is welcome to help, whether they are Boy Scouts or not, but it is mainly fellow scouts who are helping Green.

"A lot of Eagle projects are about management, which this has been for me." he says.  "But part of it has also been about how many of the aspects you have to figure out when you're the one in charge.  My Dad and I have built sheds before.  We built a boat house last summer.  But when it's just my Dad and I there's not so much people management.  I had to go to people and ask if they wanted to donate money or supplies to my Eagle Scout project.  Then I also have to corral all of these guys."

Lansing has had a steady stream of Eagle Scout projects over the years.  Some recent ones include benches at Salt Point and , and a soccer kick wall at the elementary school.  Last week work began on Niko Streb's Eagle Scout project, a 12 foot tall tower on Salt Point for chimney swifts to nest in.

Green, 17 and a high school senior, plans to study engineering when he goes to college, though he hasn't settled on a specific major.  The Eagle Scout project feeds into those plans to some extent.  He hopes to finish the project by spring.  That will give him a chance to use it himself before he graduates next summer, and it will provide protection for Lansing bicycles for a long time to come.

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