The east-side entrance to the Webster Baptist Church on South Ave. is getting a bit of an upgrade, thanks to the efforts of Eagle Scout candidate Hunter Kurosawa.
For several days over the last week or so, Hunter and his team of adult and Troop 113 Scout volunteers have been installing bricks along the drainage ditch lining the side of the church building. They’ve already worked almost 14 hours over two long days and are planning at least one more before the project is finished.
There are about 200 bricks in all, but 13 of them are rather special; individually-engraved memorial bricks, purchased by Webster Baptist Church parishioners in memory of loved ones.
Hunter landed on this particular project after having little luck with other organizations. He wrote,
I was looking for an Eagle Project at the zoo, through NEQALS, and through Webster Trails. … Then I got an email from my Scoutmaster saying (Church Moderator Diana) Marchner had a project at the Webster Baptist Church. She had contacted the Scout Advisor that I am using.
I was so happy to have a project. We went to meet her to talk about what she was looking for and I was really excited about the project. Mrs. Marchner was so nice and so happy to find someone to take on the project. It is a lot of new skills for me to learn and it is so nice to be working with Mrs. Marchner.
Apparently Marchner feels the same way.
“I can’t tell you how impressed I am with this young man … and Scout advisors,” she wrote. “I am totally amazed at how professional and dedicated to perfection they are. I really lucked out having this Eagle Scout candidate.”
The entire project has been … well, a project.
Before even placing the bricks, the site had to be dug out, cleared of stones and leveled with gravel. Some of the stones have to be cut to size before they’re all set in place with polymeric sand and pitched at a two-degree angle to allow for water runoff.
they are using Polymeric Sand so that they can be replaced as the bricks get engraved. Also Polymeric Sand helps in deterring the growth of weeds between the bricks.
There have been several challenges to overcome along the way. After digging out the site, his team discovered a plastic pipe they had to remove, and found an electrical conduit needed replacing to bring it up to code. Then they had to build a retaining wall to hold the bricks in on the south edge. All before they could even begin to lay the bricks.
But overcoming obstacles is all part of completing a successful Eagle Scout project. (And learning new things like how to mix concrete and build a retaining wall.)
The memorial bricks program is part of an ongoing fundraising initiative by the 166-year old Webster Baptist Church to raise money for needed repairs and upgrades. Bricks are still available; they cost $150 each (but larger donations are more than welcome) and they can be personally inscribed. If enough bricks are purchased, the hope is to use them to build a new sidewalk leading to the front door. It’s estimated that would take about 1,500 bricks.
You might say that Hunter Kurosawa is helping the Webster Baptist Church take a step towards maintaining a strong faith community.
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(posted 10/20/2023)
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