Noah Carlson digsup the ground outside
the Vale Pool,
preparing to plant
a Magic Carpet
Spirea. Carlson
decided to focus
his Eagle Scout
project on helping
out the Vale Swimming
Pool with
TLC that included
tidying up the facility’s
exterior.
By John L. Braese
The Malheur Enterprise
VALE – Incoming Vale High School senior Noah Carlson was looking for a worthy idea for his Eagle Scout project. After considering various possibilities in Vale, Carlson found his focus at the Vale city swimming pool.
Armed with a power washer, volunteers, and donated material, Carlson tackled the ivy-covered walls surrounding the pool and made some other improvements.
“The idea of cleaning off the walls around the pool and doing some other cleaning of the area was the better of the options I came up with for my Eagle Scout project,” he said.
Over five eight-hour days, Carlson and his crew tore down the ivy that had grown on the wall for years.
“We quickly discovered the ivy that was green was a lot easier to rip off than the dead stuff,” Carlson said. “The dead ivy just kept breaking off as we tried to get it off.”
After the bulk of the ivy was off, the crew power-washed the wall to remove the remaining pieces.
In addition to cleaning the exterior wall, Carlson performed other beautification around the pool with the assistance of some local businesses.
“Doug Ruf came in and leveled the area for water drainage,” said Carlson. “We put in weed barrier and Mendiola’s brought in and placed five large decorative boulders. We then planted some plants.”
With the job done, Carlson now awaits a board of review for his Eagle Scout badge determination. This will take place in Boise sometime soon.
“I really want to thank all the people that helped me, but especially my family,” Carlson said. “I also want to thank (city manager) Lynn Findley and the city workers of Vale for all their hard work.”