3 Photos
From left, Girl Scouts Julia Cardi, Reagan Treharne, Ashleigh Doering and Jordyn Kollen.
A bench crafted by local Girl Scouts and presented to Peconic Landing.
The scouts with some residents at Peconic Landing.
Girl Scouts from Suffolk County Troop #731 earned their Silver Awards when they presented a set of handcrafted mahogany benches and cedar planter boxes to the members of Peconic Landing on October 25.
Julia Cardi, Ashleigh Doering, Jordyn Kollen, and Reagan Treharne, all freshmen at Southold High School, each contributed 50 hours of time to the project as part of their effort to earn the Girl Scout Silver Award, the second-highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn. According to the Girl Scouts’ website, the Silver Award involves exploring the local community’s needs and choosing a project to create positive change and apply new skills.
The benches and planter boxes were built in loving memory of Eleanor “Ellie” Skwara, great-grandmother to Jordyn. The completion of the project came exactly one year after Skwara died in October of 2020 after living at Peconic Landing for over 12 years.
“This Silver Award project is in memory of my GG,” said Jordyn. “Peconic Landing was GG’s home, and she loved where she lived. She lives on in my heart, and these benches and planters will make members like GG happy and proud of where they live.”
With some help from individuals at North Fork Woodworks who donated time and materials to assist in the project, the girls put many new skills to the test, including woodworking skills, math skills, and of course, teamwork. They learned to use miter saws, nail guns, and other tools in the process of making the benches. Additional assistance and resources were provided by troop leader Amy Doering, project advisor Lauren Kollen, DJK Heating and Cooling, Southold Agway, and Andy’s Restaurant.
When the two benches were complete, the girls expanded the scope of the project by building planter boxes from cedar wood to adorn the walkways outside of Peconic Landing’s Health Center. The girls plan on visiting seasonally to maintain the plantings.
“We are so touched by the incredible job well done by these four driven and selfless young women,” said Robert J. Syron, president and CEO of Peconic Landing. “I know our community will cherish these beautiful gifts for many years to come.”
One mahogany bench was installed at the site of Embrace, the newest addition to Peconic Landing’s award-winning sculpture garden, Art Without Barriers. The sculpture garden is open to the public from June through October, sunrise to sunset.
Staff Writer on Nov 1, 2021