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Community Corner

Nanuet Local Brings Beauty Back to the Courtyard

Nanuet Boy Scout Joey Somma refurbishes Nanuet Library courtyard as his Eagle Scout project.

 

Despite a steady, cold rain, Joey Somma and his faithful volunteers were hard at work on his Eagle Scout Project at the Nanuet Library.

Somma is updating the courtyard that is attached to the children’s room in the Nanuet Public Library. 

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“I saw there was a need for this project,” Somma said. “The courtyard was underused.  I could refurbish the entire courtyard for the kids to use.”

In order to make the courtyard a welcoming place for young children Somma has planted flowers and trees, replaced the wood on the benches that were already there and put in a small water feature for decoration.  He is waiting on the arrival of a picnic table that will be put in the courtyard as well.  The courtyard has been designed to become a perfect place to relax and read a good book outdoors.

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Much of the funding of this project came from fundraising activities that Somma held and from community business.

“I held two at the Nanuet Firehouse and each of those events brought in about $750,” said Somma.

He also received monetary and supply donations from companies including, Home Depot, Back to Earth and the Nanuet Garden Program and from a donation box placed in the Nanuet Library.

“I learned that fundraising is very difficult,” Somma said. “Without the people who helped me run the car wash and the companies that donated, I would not have been able to complete this project.” 

Somma has also relied on many volunteers to help him complete the manual labor involved in the project.  Fellow Boy Scouts as well as local community members and friends have donated their time to bring this project to completion.

“I want to thank my family and friends for all of their help and support,” Somma said.

Somma hopes that after his project is completed, the Library courtyard will be used more, especially by children.  In the design of his project, Somma purposefully left open spaces in the garden, so in years to come, members of the Children’s Gardening Program can put down new flowers and plants.

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