Scout builds a stairway to Poland library

Town One Streetscapes, in cooperation with a local Boy Scout, has completed the replacement of the brick landings on the Reed Memorial Stairway which connects state Route 224 and the Poland library.

The new stairway was Paul Alberty Jr.’s Eagle Leadership Service Project. Alberty is a Boy Scout in Poland Troop 44 and is completing the necessary steps to earn the rank of Eagle Scout within Boy Scouts of America.

The Reed Memorial Stairway was erected in 2005 by Town One Streetscapes, but exposure to the weather had caused the brick landings to deteriorate. Alberty approached Town One Streetscapes in April with his desire to replace the bricks which was enthusiastically received by the membership.

“I wanted to find a good project to help our community. The stairs get a lot of use between kids going to the library and the Yellow Creek Theater movie nights over the summer and my research said this is the most used trail in Poland. The old bricks were not safe and I wanted to change that,” Alberty said.

The goal of an Eagle Leadership Service Project is to give scouts a way to showcase their leadership skills developed over years of scouting. As such, Alberty sought and secured donations from local merchants and community organizations. Home Depot in Boardman donated three pallets of brick pavers, while Hassey Enterprises delivered them for free. Over 3 tons of sand and slag were donated and delivered by Altiere’s Home and Garden Center.

“I was amazed at how generous and helpful people are around here. The folks from Streetscapes provided a lot of guidance and connections and Buddy Colley from Home Depot was amazing,” Alberty said.

Alberty’s family was on hand during the project, including his dad, Paul Alberty, Sr.

“Paul has asked all the right people, organized our construction team and coordinated all of the construction. Every step of the way, it was his project,” his dad shared.

The removal and replacement of the brick pavers took place over the last two weekends in May and involved over 200 man hours. The following individuals labored to complete the project: Troop 44 members Gary Haddle, Charles May, George Moncilovich, Jacob Thomas and Scoutmaster Bob Zedaker, Troop 2 member Greg Haylett and Scoutmaster Barry Haylett and community volunteers Maria Alberty, Marion Alberty, Paul Alberty, Demetrios Constantine, Ron Eiselstein and Michael Toppi.