Scout’s honor

A lot has been happening at the site of the Baldwin Historical Museum this year, from the redesign of its interior display to the creation of a community garden in its backyard, but there is always more work to be done. That’s why local Boy Scouts and community volunteers were on hand on July 19 to spruce up the site’s landscaping.

One local Boy Scout, Kevin Meyers, is quite familiar with the museum and the Baldwin Historical Society — his grandfather, Jack Bryck, is a past president. In order to be eligible for his Eagle rank, the highest honor in Boy Scouts, Meyers, 17, must complete a community service project. So when it came time for him to choose a project, he knew he wanted it to benefit the museum. “I knew there had to be a lot of work done there,” he said. “I always kept it in mind to do my project there.”

Meyers contacted Gary Farkash, the current president of the historical society, in May. The two discussed the scope of the project and set a date for the work to take place. Rita Cavanagh, chairwoman of the Baldwin Civic Association’s Beautification Committee, also heard about Meyers’s project, and was eager to help out.

Cavanagh, who led the charge in establishing the community garden, which officially opened last month, said it’s always nice to have new groups and people looking to help out.

Two Saturdays ago, at about 8:30 a.m., Meyers arrived at the site with a big task ahead of him. Luckily for him, he wasn’t alone. Friends from Boy Scout Troop 182, along with parent volunteers and members of the BCA, the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and the historical society, pitched in as well.

The group’s main objective was to rip out the mass of overgrown weeds, vines and ivy on the museum’s north side, which, Meyers said, was the biggest obstacle to tackle. Before he and his volunteers spent roughly four and a half hours clearing the invasive plants, the museum was hardly visible from nearby Seamen Avenue. Now, Farkash said, drivers and pedestrians on Seamen are doing double takes when they see the museum for the first time.

“It looked so much better than before,” Meyers said. “It is so much more open than when we started.”

Cavanagh reached out to members of Sanitary District No. 2, who picked up all of the weeds, vines and ivy after they were pulled. “There was a rhythm, a flow and a lot of cooperation on the part of all involved,” she said. “I was able to see a real-life ‘before and after’ in less than eight hours, and the result was so successful and generated a lot of wows.”