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Shallow Fog A Girl Scout’s history of RVC
Teenager creates a kids book on village’s past
Girl Scouts from troops 820 and 837 gathered around one of their own. They sat in a semi-circle as Catrina Casella, 13, read a children’s book version of a history of Rockville Centre that she researched and produced herself.
The event, which took place at the Phillips House on Dec. 10, was part of Casella’s Silver Award project, a community service award, and the second highest recognition a Girl Scout can earn.
She largely worked on the project herself, according to her troop leader, Jennifer Minnigan. Village historian Marilyn Devlin and Casella’s father, Daniel, who is a village building inspector, provided some of the information.
Casella took an interest in history from an early age. Minnigan, who has known Casella since she was a Brownie Scout, said she was originally inspired by a trip to the historic Rockville Centre Phillips House in third grade. While considering what to do for her Silver Award, Casella contemplated, “Why wasn’t there a children’s book for Rockville Centre?”
“I thought it would be cool for little girls to learn a history of the town,” she said.
Casella, who is a fourth-generation Rockville Centre resident, took a particular interest in the history of village buildings.
During her reading, she highlighted the home of Anthony DeMott, one of the community’s earliest settlers. The house, built in 1749, still stands today.
Casella is now an eighth grader at the St. Agnes Cathedral School, and plans to attend Kellenberg Memorial High School next fall.
In addition to the Girl Scouts and their parents, Mayor Francis X. Murray, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, County Legislator Laura Curran and Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito attended the reading.
A Girl Scout Silver Award requires 40 hours of work, according to Minnigan. This includes researching, writing, producing, and reading to her fellow scouts.
Typically, the award project aligns with the scout’s interests, but must also be geared towards public service. In this case, that is providing a way for young children to learn about the village they live in, according to Casella.
“It’s about trying to get kids to understand what’s in their back yard,” Minnigan said.
