Eagle Scout builds deck, drainage system for agency
CEDA Northwest, the Mount Prospect-based social service agency located at 1300 W. Northwest Hwy., has a brand new deck and patio and its garden has been drastically pruned, thanks to the hard work of an Eagle Scout candidate and the members of Troop 335 at All Saints Lutheran Church in Palatine.
Chris Mackey, 18, son of Dave and Maggie Mackey of Palatine and a senior at Fremd High School, spent much of his summer planning and executing the project which included cutting an unstable 12-foot wall down to 4 feet, removing a brick patio that had shifted, devising a drainage system for the area, building a 20-by-20 foot deck with bench seating around the edges from pressure treated lumber and building a smaller walkway system and patio around the deck from the old patio bricks.
"Chris did a phenomenal job taking down a brick wall, planning the tiling and drainage and building the deck, and doing it in a short amount of time," said Mary Ann Geary of CEDA. "I have never seen such a huge project completed by such a young man."
"He and his crew took care of an eyesore of a patio area and now the staff can sit outside and enjoy the nice weather while eating lunch. We will probably host a few events and even meet with clients on the new deck."
"I felt pretty good that I was able to accomplish at project of this magnitude when a lot of the people I talked to about it thought that it was too much to attempt," Mackey said. "I am relieved that it is done and satisfied with the job we did."
On Sept. 30 CEDA is planning to dedicate the new deck in honor of their former receptionist, Bernice Kuxhause, who worked there for 11 years before succumbing to cancer, Geary said.
Mackey and his family and fellow Scouts certainly have that day marked on their calendars!
Food needed for pantry: While we are on the subject of CEDA Northwest, Mary Ann Geary mentioned that their food pantry is in desperate need of donations because of the added strain put on the facility by the current economy.
Donations will be gratefully accepted during regular business hours at the facility located at 1300 W. Northwest Hwy., Mount Prospect. Call (847) 392-2332.
Old-Fashioned Family Picnic in the Park: Say goodbye to summer when the River Trails Park District holds its annual free Old Fashioned Labor Day Picnic in the Park at Woodland Trails Park, 1500 E. Euclid Ave., beginning at 10 a.m. Monday.
Among the activities planned are a pet parade at 10 a.m.; a petting zoo from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; the annual "Trusty's Turtle Race" at 11:30 a.m.; face painting from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; eating contests; and the annual coin splash in the pool at 3 p.m.
The pool will be open free from noon until 3 p.m. when the coin splash begins. The pool closes for the season at completion of coin splash.
If you have never attended this annual event and don't know how the Trusty Turtle race works, you buy a rubber turtle which are numbered. All of the turtles are taken to the tops of the slides and dropped into the pool. Current provided by the slides and some hoses propel the turtles across the pool to the finish line.
The owner of the winning turtle wins $300. The cost of sponsoring one of the turtles is $5 or you can sponsor six turtles for $25. Sponsorship forms are available at the Weiss Center.
Call (847) 255-1200 or log onto the Web site at www.rtpd.org.