Scout needs funding for project
By TARA MAGUIRE Sentinel reporter tmaguire@lewistownsentinel.comArticle Photos
BELLEVILLE - Something is missing at the Belleville Babe Ruth field, and it's not a dugout, a field or ball players. A bare, flattened piece of earth beside the field dugout may hold the key to the missing link in this mysterious puzzle.
Matthew Chester, 14, of Belleville, said he plans to build a set of "concrete lumber bleachers" that will be placed in the adjacent lot next to the field dugout.
Chester, a scout member of Burnham Troop 6, said he plans to complete the bleachers section for his Eagle Scout project.
"I got the idea from the Little League bleachers and went from there," Chester said.
Chester, who is also a ninth-grader at Indian Valley High School, said once he figured out what he wanted to build, he started drawing plans, getting photographs and writing down detailed descriptions of what he wanted the bleachers to look like.
Chester said once he had an idea of what he wanted to build, he had to present his plans to the Scouting Board and Union Township for preliminary approval.
"I got approval from (the board), and ... I later got the OK from (the township)," Chester said.
Chester said he wrote letters to several businesses asking for assistance, some of which have contributed large donations to his project.
"Allensville Planning Mill donated all the lumber, a total of 35 boards," Chester said.
Chester's father, John Chester, said once they received the OK from both parties, they took their plans to an engineer, who "took Matthew's ideas and worked them into what we have now."
Since Chester received the green light to move ahead with his project, one small problem has stood in the way.
"We have not gotten approval from Guardian Inspection," John Chester said.
John Chester said his son's plans were sent to building code inspector Jeff Knepp about three weeks ago and both father and son still have not received any word.
"It's basically liability issues ... they need to make sure that the plans constructed by our engineer will hold a certain amount of weight, that sort of thing," John Chester said.
John Chester said the delay on his son's project is large in part to the average safety precautions that Guardian Inspection must take, and "everything is subject to approval."
"We will have to have our engineer revise our plans and resubmit it. It's touch and go at this point," John Chester said.
As of right now, Chester has accumulated $1,800 for his project, but John Chester proposes that it "will take a couple more thousand dollars to complete."
"We're about halfway there in terms of funding," John Chester said.
Chester said he has been working on his plans for the bleachers since mid-June and has accumulated 23 hours in the process.
"I've pretty much worked on them since baseball season ended. I'm guessing I will have at least 150 hours or more invested by the end," Chester said.
Chester said his plans include building one set of bleachers that will consist of five rows at 10 feet wide by 30 feet long.
"I hope to get everything finished before winter. We wanted to start in August but it's September now. Our definite goal at this point is to finish before the start of ball season," Chester said.
Chester and his father said anyone willing to support this project can call 935-5614.
