Over the years, Cornwall-on-Hudson’s Donahue Memorial Park has been the beneficiary of a number of Eagle Scout projects. One former scout installed solar lights on the docks while another created a decontamination station by the boat launch. Cornwall High School Senior Daniel Carpenter recently joined his brothers by contributing a project of his own to the riverside park — wheelchair accessible picnic tables.
Last summer, Carpenter approached Mayor Brendan Coyne and inquired about potential projects. Coyne referred the young scout to Department of Public Works Superintendent David Halvorsen who said there was an opportunity to build several picnic tables by the waterfront.
“Having Aspergers, I thought why not make something that’s good for people who have a condition they don’t have control over and give them the opportunity to sit by the waterfront,” said Carpenter.
Plans were developed to construct two tables and they were presented to the Boy Scout Council. Carpenter said the paperwork alone “took ages” but the process was well worth it. The project was approved without any modifications.
While Carpenter found schematics, on the internet, which provided measurements and easy to build instructions, he measured the length, width, and height of the tables and benches which are currently located at the riverfront, just to get an idea of what he would need in terms of supplies.
The next step was to raise funds for the materials he’d need to build the tables. Part of the project requires calculating the costs, which he estimated to be about $210 for both tables — a lot cheaper than he originally anticipated.
Carpenter baked homemade cookies and sold them in front of DeCicco’s. He also asked and received donations of wood from lumber yards and hardware stores. Carpenter said fund raising was one of the few challenges he had to deal with. At times getting donations was difficult and he found creating invoices to be tedious.
Once plans were set and materials purchased, Carpenter and a group of about 15 volunteers were ready to construct the tables. The group of adults and fellow scouts worked about two days, for about 12 hours each, during the month of October. The tables, with an eight-foot table top and six-foot benches, are capable of seating about eight people.
There’s an overhang at each end which allows those in a wheelchair to pull right up to the table.
Carpenter said one of the challenges, during assembly, was trying to line up the table top with the base. He said a dozen people were required to make sure the surface was positioned properly. Once they figured it out, assembling the second table was much easier.
The tables were then transported to the riverfront park — one was placed by the flagpole and the other adjacent to the boat launch where the kayaks assemble.
Carpenter, who joined Cub Scouts as a Tiger, never thought he’d be able to attain the rank of Eagle, but through perseverance he was able to overcome any challenges he faced.
“It’s been a pleasure,” he said of the project. “I was very eager to do this for the community.”
