March 14, 2005

Eagle rank awarded to 4 Boy Scouts

Four members of local Boy Scout troops have received their Eagle Scout awards in recent weeks. Ryan Erickson and Alexander Olcott, both of Troop 258 sponsored by Zion Lutheran School, were awarded the rank at a Court of Honor held Feb. 21. Bobby Rampton received his Eagle during a ceremony held by Troop 166 on Feb. 23, and Brodie Knight was honored by Troop 170.

Erickson, 14, is the son of Jerry and Julie Erickson of Corvallis. For his Eagle Project, Erickon constructed two sets of tables and benches for the Audubon Society of Corvallis's Hesthavn Nature Center. He supervised 13 workers who worked a combined 140 hours to complete the project.

He started as a Cub Scout in 1997 and earned the God and Church award in addition to 27 merit badges. He has attended Camp Baker, Camp Baldwin and Camp Meriwether and has served his troop as quartermaster, patrol leader and assistant senior patrol leader. He is a freshman at Crescent Valley High School.

Olcott, 16, is the son of Stephen and Janette Olctott of Corvallis. He designed and constructed three sets of exterior emergency fire escape steps for classrooms at Zion Lutheran School. He also organized and supervised a car wash to raise funds for his project. Eleven volunteers assisted with his project, which took 108 volunteer hours to complete.

Olcott has earned 34 merit badges as a Boy Scout and is a member of the Order of the Arrow. He has served as assistant patrol leader, librarian, patrol leader and senior patrol leader. He is a sophomore at Corvallis High School.

Knight is the son of Wes and Tammy Knight of Corvallis. He restored aquariums in the science lab at Corvallis High School, where he is a senior. His project improved habitats for aquatic specimens and made the displays more inviting for student observers.

Knight earned 22 merit badges to complete his Eagle requirements. A member of the Order of the Arrow, he served Troop 170 as Order of the Arrow representative, patrol leader and assistant patrol leader. He has also been a member of Venture Crews 170 and 697, served on the summer staff at Camp Baker for the past three summers, and has attended Camp Fleichman in Nevada and Camp Melakwa and Camp Meriwether in Oregon. His troop is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Corvallis Sunrisers and led by Scoutmaster Bob Bernhard.

Rampton, 18, is the son of Mark and Alice Rampton of Corvallis. His troop is sponsored by the Fourth Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His scoutmaster is Bob Babbel. Rampton refurbished and rebuilt portions of Wildcat Park at Wilson Elementary School for his Eagle Project. He supervised more than 80 volunteers who completed total 350 hours of volunteer service.

Rampton has earned 24 merit badges. He is a senior at Crescent Valley High School.

Strycker is Young Birder of the Year

Noah Strycker, 19, an Oregon State University freshman majoring in fisheries and wildlife science, has been awarded top honors on the 2004 Young Birder of the Year contest organized by the American Birding Association. Strycker was awarded the grand prize in the 14- to 18 year-old category based on his submissions of bird photographs and illustrations, and a field notebook detailing his observations.

In addition to the grand prize, Strycker received first prize in the photography module, second prize in the illustration module, and an honorable mention in the field notebook module. His work has been published in regional and national publications, including in a regular column for WildBird magazine, and was exhibited at the University of Oregon Museum of Natural History.

Boys State applicants sought

Young men who have completed their junior year of high school, including home-schooled students with equivalent education, are eligible to apply for the annual Boys State program sponsored by the American Legion. This year's event will be held at the University of Oregon from June 12 to 18.

Boys state is a program designed to increase the knowledge and awareness of high school students concerning the governmental process and procedures at city, county and state levels. The week-long hands-on experience includes role-playing and active participation in a number of mock government activities.

For more information, contact Corvallis Post 11 commander Jim Jones at 753-4149. The Oregon State Department of the American Legion can be reached at 503-968-5432, or e-mail boys_state_or@comcast.net. The cost for attending is $250. Applications are due April 15.

Holt honored as an ‘Everyday Hero'

The Kiwanis Club of Corvallis recently recognized Bob Holt as the recipient of the "Everyday Hero Award." The award has been presented to a distinguished list of people in the community that continue to perform good works in the community through their everyday activities without regard for attention.

Throughout his career, Holt has served youth in a variety of capacities, including as a teacher and coach. He has helped with many running, track, gymnastics, baseball and other youth events.

Holt has previously been recognized as Corvallis First Citizen, Teacher of the Year, and Coach of the Year. He has served as chairman of the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce Board and president of the Corvallis Ambassadors.

Kiwanis Club refocuses efforts

The Kiwanis Club of Corvallis, after 14 years of community service picking up debris twice a year on Oregon Highway 34 from the Van Buren Street bridge to Colorado Lake Road, has decided to expend its energies in other directions. It is estimated that club members collected several tons of debris during the 14 years from the 2.5-mile stretch of highway and put in nearly 700 hours of volunteer labor.

The project was the first contract that District 4 of the Department of Transportation had in it's "Adopt-A-Highway" program, according to Robert Doran, district manager. The department now contracts with the Benton County Juvenile Department to do highway cleanup on all highways in the district.

The Kiwanis Club of Corvallis is now focusing its efforts on the group's ongoing beautification project at the south entrance to Corvallis on Oregon Highway 99W near the Marys River bridge. The project is in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Transportation, City of Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department, Corvallis Garden Club and Oregon State University.