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Hyde Park community members and Boy Scouts join together to improve recreation and landscaping By
Kari Gray HYDE PARK -- Community members and Boy Scouts have joined together here to improve recreation and landscaping while saving valuable funds. David Kooyman, city councilman and director of recreation, said Hyde Park budgets approximately $500 each year to contribute to Boy Scouts working on the Eagle Scout ranking, who must put together a service project large enough to display leadership skills. By contributing a small amount to these projects the city is saving more of its taxpayers' money, he said. Many stores will donate all the resources required and labor is voluntary, Kooyman said. Projects include installing a fire pit at Lion Park, enclosing the dugouts at the Little League baseball fields, replacing broken sidewalks and installing a rubberized backstop behind the catcher's mound at the baseball fields. Mike Balls, 17, a student at Sky View High School, is working on covering the Little League dugouts. He said he has played baseball all his life and wants to "try to give something back" to the community. Currently the Little League field has tarps over the dugouts that don't keep out the hot sun. This project will help the Little Leaguers not get tired as easily in the hot sun. Former Scout leaders, adult community members, and Scouts are working together, Balls said. "Its wonderful!" said Curt Gordon, city administrator. "It helps the Eagle Scouts and it helps the city." In order to get an Eagle project started, Gordon said, the Scouts present an idea with its costs to a council member and then bring it before a city council meeting to obtain permission and financial help. The scouts can also go to the city for project ideas. "It works both ways," Kooyman said.
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