A humble hero is honored

Eric Scott, a groundskeeper for the Hewlett-Woodmere School District, injured his left arm in a 2002 snowmobile accident upstate near Binghamton, and has had two surgeries to repair three of the nerves in his arm using nerves from his torso.

But the operations were not as successful as Scott, 35, had hoped. The injury left him with limited use of the arm, able to hold only three or four pounds at a time.

“The district brought me back anyhow,” he said. “I’m thrilled to be able to be inventive in using my arm. I’ve since learned a lot from operating heavy machinery, and use my knowledge to make small pieces of equipment to help me use my arm. I also rake leaves using one hand. It’s my own way of physical therapy.”

Scott will be one of 13 people, including longtime CBS newsman Charles Osgood and Nassau County police Chief of Department Steven Skrynecki, to be honored by the Nassau County BOCES Education Partners Awards Program at the organization’s gala on April 13 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

For the past 10 years, the program has recognized community and business leaders, civil servants, nonprofit executives and volunteers, organizations, school board members, students, teachers and Nassau BOCES employees who have made an impact on public education.

Brian Terry, chairman of the Hewlett-Woodmere district’s science department, and Al Bauer, the principal at Woodmere Middle School, submitted the Commack resident’s name for consideration. “Al tricked me,” Scott said. “He brought me into his office with the intent there was something concerning, and that’s when he told me I’d been chosen. I was shocked.”

Bauer said that Scott is an integral part of the middle school family. “He’s got great ideas,” he said. “We listen to them. He is important, a deserving individual. He’s also humble, and finds it difficult to take these accolades.”
Scott has worked as a district groundskeeper for almost 16 years, and has been assigned to the middle school for eight. He was recruited by former head groundskeeper Bob Heffner, who retired from Farmingdale State College last year.