Just a few months ago, visitors to Reservoir Park in Tyrone sure had an eyesore to look at when pulling up to the entrance.
But thanks to the community work of one dedicated Boy Scout, the monument and area surrounding it in the park is a sight to be seen once again.
Fifeteen-year-old Nathan Barber is the guy behind it all.
“The whole area was in pretty bad shape when I started it all,” said the Tyrone youth. “But once me and some other guys from the troop got going, the improvements started showing immediately.”
Nathan is part of Boy Scout Troop 103, based in Bald Eagle. He’s working to attain Boy Scouting’s highest honor – the Eagle Scout badge. And doing a community service project is one of the requirements for the feat.
“It’s something I’ve wanted since I became a Boy Scout,” said Barber. “My brother Brandon was an Eagle Scout, and that made me want to do it also. Now it’s going to happen.”
Nathan said the idea to do his community work came after a long brainstorming session with two other major influences in his life – parents Ray and Mary Jo Barber.
“They really helped push me through this,” Nathan said.
With their help, he began mapping his course. Nathan said they worked for a few hours on the planning, got the permission from the borough, then began ironing out all the details. Soon, the weather broke and he and his fellow scouts began on the project.
“There was a lot to do,” said Nathan. “We pressure washed the entire monument and did a whole lot of landscaping around the area. We mulched the area, planted flowers and other plants, and it all came together pretty much like I hoped it would.”
But there’s still more work to be done.
“We still have some more plants and flowers to get in,” said Nathan. “And we also have to build two benches that will sit parallel to the fountain in front of the monument.”
Altogether, Nathan said there’s about 15 hours of work already put in at the park, and expect the few remaining jobs to do to take another couple of hours.
Part of the requirement of the project is that the scout raise his own funds to support the project. Nathan said he conducts fundraisers to foot those bills. He said his most fund-generating project came with a recent sale of Marianna’s hoagies. He said a car wash will be scheduled in the near future.
“I really enjoy Boy Scouting,” said Nathan. “And I’d tell anybody to give it a try. You learn a lot and make a lot of real good friends.”
Nathan expects to finish his Eagle Scout requirement by year’s end.
