HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS: Thankful for Service

WITH GEORGE HOEHMANN
SUPERVISOR, TOWN OF CLARKSTOWN

Clarkstown is very fortunate to have several active Boy Scout Troops in our town. Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America organization has helped build future leaders through educational activities, mentoring, serving others, healthy living and building character. Scouting is a wonderful foundation for values, responsibility, courage, honor, and respect.

After the younger years of cub scouts, boys can move on to boy scouts and eventually work to attain the highest rank of Eagle Scout. An Eagle Scout is required to complete a service project to benefit the community.  Prior to becoming Supervisor, I worked with a number of not-for-profits that were lucky to be recipients of some wonderful projects. Now as Supervisor, I’m pleased to continuing working with local scouts as they progress to become an Eagle Scout.

Many residents aren’t aware of the great work our local scouts are providing to the community and I’d love to take the opportunity to give you a glimpse. Last year, the town celebrated their 225^th anniversary. I established a committee of local historians and town staff to create an exhibit in Town Hall to commemorate the milestone. Scout Carrington Gregori assisted us by building three wood display cases with sliding glass doors that we installed in the lobby of Town Hall. The beautiful cases now hold historical artifacts, documents and pictures for all our residents and visitors to view and learn for years to come.

Alec Hansraj recently restored an abandoned cemetery dating back to the 1800s with veterans from the Civil War. This past spring, Dan Smith constructed a Butterfly Garden at our historic Traphagen property in West Nyack in honor of Larisa Karassik who was sadly killed by a drunk driver three years ago. We have a couple scouts, Ethan Vallebuona and Michael Parrott, currently working on constructing trails through the Traphagen property, and connecting the property with the adjacent Germonds Park.

We have scouts proposing to install defibrillators with informational boards and instructions at our town pool facilities; build a picnic area and retaining wall at the Nanuet Little League fields; and enhance the Germonds Park picnic area and gazebo.

There are many other scouting projects going on in our town and that have already been constructed at local libraries, senior clubs, schools, little league fields, parks, disabled persons homes and more. We’re lucky to have such hardworking, dedicated young adults serving our community. I’m grateful to each of them and their families as well as troop leaders for their service. I’m confident we’ll have many great leaders in the future that started right here in Clarkstown with the scouts!

  clarkstownt, george hoehmann, town of clarkstown