by David Flint
The Berlin Library is sporting a beautiful new bluestone patio. The new gathering place, outdoor reading room and venue for musical performances and summer readings is located behind the Library building on South Main Street and is the work of Eagle Scout candidate Tim Shupe. A ribbon cutting ceremony introducing and opening the patio to the public was held on Saturday, November 1. Present for the occasion, among many others, were County Executive Kathy Jimino, County Legislator Stan Brownell and Berlin Town Supervisor Rob Jaeger.
[private]Tim Shupe, son of Joseph and Monica Shupe of Berlin, a senior at Berlin Central High School and Life Scout in Troop 222, welcomed the crowd to the ceremony. Shupe has long recognized that the Library is very important to the community and that’s why he chose the Library as the locus of his Eagle Scout service project. He and Library Treasurer David Theriault put their heads together and decided that replacing the aging and worn deck behind the Library with a bluestone patio would be both a challenging project and a useful, versatile, low maintenance and long lasting benefit to the community. Bluestone was chosen partly because there was already a bluestone walkway leading to the back of the Library.
Shupe began his project in September of last year. Most of the Scouts in Troop 222 helped out along the way. Shupe credited also many members of the community, especially former Scout leader Bill Curley, as well as his family members, “who put up with me.” The outpouring of support from the community, he said, was “tremendous.”
One of the most difficult parts of the project, Shupe said, was getting all the necessary approvals before work could be started. After that there were three phases, digging out the area and preparing for a subsurface, laying a crushed stone bed allowing for proper drainage and a solid base for the paving stones and, most time consuming, placing the individual stones, taking care that they were leveled across and pitched down so as to drain water away from the Library. This took many days and a lot of people helped.
Shupe said he learned a lot from the project. Claiming to be a not very organized person, he said that the work of keeping track of all the finances, organizing the workers and making sure materials were on site when needed was a valuable learning experience that has carried over and will carry over into numerous other areas of his life. No doubt it will help in his plans to study engineering in college starting next year, the college or university not yet determined.
David Theriault said it was a pleasure working with Shupe on this project. Kathy Jimino presented Shupe with a Certificate of Congratulations and Stan Brownell added a Proclamation from the County Legislature that “most joyously congratulates and commends Timothy Shupe for his service to the Berlin Free Town Library.”
Scoutmaster Andrew Zlotnick said he could not be prouder of Tim and the Eagle Scout project he chose. “Along with giving back to his community, I really think that Tim learned a lot about project management and how to work with a team of volunteers and professionals,” Zlotnick said. “Community and sharing of his knowledge with others freely has been a hallmark of Tim Shupe. In the time he has been with the Scout troop he has held almost every leadership position that we have and has learned and grown throughout his time in scouting. Tim has been the Junior Assistant Scoutmaster for the last six months, which has helped the troop immensely. His knowledge of the scouting principals and his greater general knowledge has been called upon on a regular basis during scout meetings and events. He has put in countless hours volunteering at local charitable groups and events. If I had to point out one of Tim’s many great qualities it would have to be his willingness to be part of his local community and lend a hand in times of need,” Zlotnick said.
[/private]