Eagle project means improved courtyard at school

By JENNIFER NOBLIT Thursday July 10, 2014 2:30 PM

Thanks to Zach Whetstone, Riverside Elementary School students will enjoy some outdoor education this fall.

The member of Boy Scout Troop 185 based at Dublin Community Church completed his Eagle Scout project last month, adding a retaining wall, mulch and landscaping in Riverside's courtyard.

"At first I had a project in here that involved gutters and a rain barrel," Whetstone said, adding that after that fell through he still wanted to "fix the erosion problem" in the courtyard.

So Whetstone, with the help of 10 other scouts and volunteers replaced a sloping dirt area with a retaining wall that now holds plants and mulch.

"At first it looked like a down ramp of dried dirt and plants," he said.

"We removed the plants first and then started digging for the pavers."

Whetstone helped with and managed the building of the 46-foot retaining wall that will make the courtyard a good area for some outdoor education, said Riverside Principal Staci Lutz.

"It's an amazing learning area for kids, but it was always wet and overgrown," she said. "As soon as Zach started to work out here I saw more and more teachers bringing small groups out here.

"There are only two buildings in Dublin (City Schools) that have courtyards like this," Lutz said.

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Eagle project means improved courtyard at school