What do New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, film director Steven Spielberg and astronaut James Lovell have in common? And, what will these famous folk soon share with local teens Nick Ciaglia, A.J. Fisher, Bryce Miller, Ben Stone and Greg Zurawel?
Give up? All will belong to the elite group of 1.2 million American Eagle Scouts. The students, who belong to Trinity Lutheran Church’s Boy Scout Troop 408 in Roselle, are busy completing their final projects.
A.J. is constructing a shelter for dog owners at Roselle’s Odlum Dog Park on Trevia Parkway.
Nick is constructing cedar benches for Trinity Lutheran Church’s Adult Day Care Center.
Bryce is building benches for the new Peace Garden at Marklund Philip Center for Children in Bloomingdale. Greg is planting flowers and building a brick shelter at Marklund.
Ben is beautifying the Roselle train station with $15,000 in donated goods and services to remove the weeds, cultivate the soil and plant roses, lilacs and day lilies. The village owns the property, but Metra “takes care of the property,” said Ben, who hopes to improve the village.
“Becoming an Eagle Scout is very important to me,” he said. “I’ve been a Scout for four years. I have 33 merit badges. I’m really looking forward to reaching this goal.”
Only five percent of all Scouts become Eagle Scouts.
And to think we will have five new Eagle Scouts right here in our community. Congratulations A.J., Ben, Bryce, Greg and Nick.
Kudos to Nicholas Biebel
Glenbard North High School junior Nicholas Biebel, 17, received a perfect score on his ACT college entrance exam. He’s among 14 students in Illinois and 162 students nationwide to achieve this goal. More than 400,000 students take the test each year.
Congratulations, Nicholas
Back from the Paralympics
As you read these words, Western DuPage Special Recreation Association athlete Joel Adams, 16, and coach Trent Thenhaus will be returning from a personal invitation to attend the Beijing Paralympics held Sept. 12 to 19.
Adams is a rising star in the WDSRA Windy City Warriors IHSA Wheelchair Basketball Team. Coached by Thenhaus, the team placed first in the US in 2007.
“It’s pretty cool to go to the Paralympics at my age,” Adams said. “It’s cool to see the best of the best.”
If the city of Chicago wins the bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, the Paralympics would be played in Chicago. That would be pretty cool as well.
Congratulations to Joel and Coach Thenhaus.
