Adjacent to the parking lot, nestled near trees that overlook Sheridan Glacier, sits a classic log bench that Wyatt Sorenson completed for his Eagle Scout project.
The wood comes from a tree that once stood in Nirvana Park.
The purpose of the Eagle project is to serve the community at large and Sorenson, 14, had elders in mind when choosing the location of the bench.
“They look around the community and figure something that will benefit the recipient,” Scoutmaster Bill Howard said. “A lot of thought and planning went into the proposal and construction of the bench [and] it’s not for him to do all by himself, it’s a community effort.”
As part of the project, Sorenson and the other scouts learned to communicate with adults, how to be in charge while also working together.
“I learned that more people working together helps a lot, helps the process go a lot faster,” Sorenson said.
Micah Renfeldt, who has experience building benches, served as Sorenson’s mentor, volunteering time and taking the lead with power tools. A highlight for Sorenson was watching Renfeldt cut the log.
“Watching it be cut in half with chainsaw was most interesting part for me,” he said.
The scout and his parents, Genan and Rich Sorenson, said they are grateful for everyone who made this possible. They thanked Micah Renfelt, and Parks and Recreation for donation of the log and help in guiding the scouts through the building of the bench. They also thanked Bill Howard and the city shop for assistance in lifting the log into place to start the project, Peterson Welding and Ace Hardware for donations, and all the scouts and their parents.
