Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • April 9, 2014 Franklin Lakes Eagle Scout candidates present projects to council by Frank J. McMahon Two Eagle Scout candidates attended a recent Franklin Lakes Borough Council meeting and explained their ser- vice projects to the governing body. Bruce Haywood plans to build a bocce ball court near the playground on the municipal field behind the municipal building on DeKorte Drive. Brian Brevdeh’s project involves building two benches and placing them at scenic locations at the Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve, where he also plans to build a bridge. Haywood told the council he is doing this project in order to give back to his community and because of his personal experience with bocce. According to Haywood, his grandfather was confined to a wheelchair but he played bocce, which had a positive impact on him. He said he will be helped in building the project by a number of Boy Scouts and a lot of his relatives. The bocce ball court will be 70 feet long and 13 feet wide and be constructed of a layer of clean crushed rook with two three-inch drainage pipes, a weed barrier, then a layer of crushed rock, and then a layer of infield clay with one inch of red stone dust surrounded by a 6 by 6 inch wooden siding. Haywood said he has sent out letters requesting dona- tions toward the cost of his project and has contacted local area contractors for material donations. He said he expects to complete the project by the beginning of May. Brevdeh showed a map and three photos of the two areas where he wants to put the benches and another pic- ture showing the dip in the hiking trail on the side of High Mountain Road where he will build a six to eight foot long bridge over a ditch in the trail. He also plans to clean up the area around the place where he will build the bridge to allow a natural flow of water from a street drain into the reservoir. One of the benches will be located on the High Moun- tain Road side of the upper lake and another will be located along the trail that separates the lagoon and the upper lake. The bridge will be built on the trail that parallels Ewing Avenue. Brevdeh said the bridge will create a safer condition on the hiking trail and the benches, which will be cemented into the ground, will provide a resting place for hikers and allow them to enjoy the beautiful views of the nature pre- serve. Brevdeh said he plans to ask local lumber yards to donate the pressure treated wood valued at about $500 that will be used for the project and he advised that his uncle is a master carpenter who will help him build the benches and bridge. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program. Since the Eagle Scout program was introduced in 1911, this rank has been earned by more than two million young men. The requirements to become an Eagle Scout include earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout spirit through the Boy Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages. The service project is an opportunity for a Scout to dem- onstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of a religious institution, school, or commu- nity. This is the culmination of the Eagle Scout candidate’s leadership training, and requires a significant effort on his part. The project may not benefit the Boy Scouts of America or its councils, districts, units, camps, and so forth. It also cannot be of a commercial nature or be solely a fundraiser. Several famous Americans are Eagle Scouts, including former President Gerald R. Ford; Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City; Neil Armstrong, the astro- naut who was the first person to set foot on the moon; and Stephen Breyer, an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court. Equipment (continued from page 5) “sinking fund” instead of bonding the high ticket items. Another ordinance set aside an additional $50,000 for the future purpose of the fire pumper truck. Yet another ordinance allocated $25,000 for future field improvements. This brings the total balance of the field improvement fund to $79,994 if and when adopted. The final ordinance in the series allocated $50,000 for the future new roof at Wyckoff Town Hall. A bond ordinance authorizing various capital improvements was the final ordinance on the list and totals $1,704,400. The single largest item is $1,235,000 for street and road repairs anticipated to last for 10 years. Public safety equipment including radios, computers, and license plate readers will be funded at $229,900. These items are expected to last 16 to 17 years. A telephone system and voice mail upgrade as a separate item from the other ordinances came to $27,100. Bonding for various heavy equipment for the Wyckoff Department of Public Works, including a field prep machine, a tractor mower, and a dump truck with snowplow came to $126,000. The hearings and probable adoption of the ordinances will take place on April 29. J. KOSTER