A Penn Hills Boy Scout hopes to earn the organization’s highest honor by fixing up an entrance to Rosedale Park.

Harry Clothier, 17, raised about $1,000 toward his Eagle Scout project through a hoagie sale and donations from family and friends.

The money helped to pay for more than 180 concrete Versa-Lok blocks, gravel and other materials for a secondary entrance and ramp with a handrail. The work is being done at the park, next to the Rosedale Fire Hall near Verona and Rockcliff roads.

“It’s our way of giving back and helping them out,” Harry said Sept. 19, while working on the project. “This is our second day working, but I’ve been planning this since May. There’s a lot of paperwork you have to do.”

The first day of work included removing tree roots and wooden logs about 10 inches wide and 4 to 5 feet long, and digging a 17-foot-long trench a couple of inches deep so the gravel and stone would sit slightly below ground level to the parking lot.

The troop also installed two new LED lights at a pavilion. The second day’s labor included splitting stone, leveling out the site so the blocks could fit well and working on the ramp.

The blocks came from R.I. Lampus Co., a Springdale-based business specializing in masonry, brick and stone veneer products.

Harry remains a Penn Hills Scout even though he moved to Trafford in 2015.

The Penn-Trafford High School senior said he wanted to stay with his friends and finish his Scouting career with the group he has been with since second grade.

“You do a lot,” Harry said about the Boy Scouts. “There’s the camping trips. You learn outdoor skills. I think that’s what a lot of people see, but another thing is all the leadership skills that you learn. Doing this project you have to do a lot of leadership. It’s a lot of fun. The camaraderie and the friendships you build with all the Scouts. It’s a great experience.”

The deadline for the project is Sept. 26, one day before Harry’s 18th birthday. Scouts are normally prohibited from attaining Eagle Scout status once they become of age. However, it could be possible to get an extension for the project due to the pandemic.

Harry said, however, that he was confident the work would be done and everything would be ready for submission to the Boy Scouts of America’s Laurel Highlands Council prior to his birthday. It was unclear when Harry would be awarded his Eagle Scout honor.

Luke Hansen, 18, of Penn Hills earned his Eagle Scout honor last year repainting fences and refurbishing the town’s baseball fields. Harry assisted in that effort, and Hansen was in Rosedale returning the favor.

“I’ve been friends with Harry for all my life, so it’s good to be able to help him and see him get his Eagle Scout,” Hansen said. “Being an Eagle Scout is kind of the final culmination of all the work and dedication we’ve put in to scouting.”

Penn Hills Councilman John Petrucci said Harry’s project will go a long way toward a bigger effort to restore the park to its former glory.

“I applaud him,” Petrucci said. “He’s doing a wonderful job. It’s very much needed, and we greatly appreciate it. We appreciate all the Boy Scouts. They’ve done so much down here. They’ve used this as their nucleus as we have also.”

Petrucci formed the Rosedale Civic Association in March to make playground improvements and revamp the park’s stage among other upgrades. The association has since merged with the Rosedale Garden Club and grown to about 80 members.

“We could have movies in the park again and concerts back here,” Petrucci said. “Try to get the backstop put in so Little League can come down here again, get this fence all redone and fixed up, make it safe for the kids to play down here.

“That’s the number one concern, and bring back the old glory of this field again. Back in my day this was a jumping spot.”

More information about the Rosedale Civic Association can be found on its Facebook page.

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