SOUTH WHITLEY – Life Scout John Langmaid of Troop 85 finished an extensive project at Whitko High School as part of his Eagle Scout rank attainment.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank of scouting and is attained by approximately 5 percent of all Scouts.
The project consisted of a 65-foot-long reinforced concrete sidewalk to connect the parking lot behind the wood shop and the class areas for the Resource students. In case of a fire or drill, to enter or exit the building from the back parking lot, or to exercise on the track, the Resource Room students had to walk across an unimproved and uneven area of ground that was soft and soggy after rain and icy and slushy after snow. The sidewalk also needed to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act for the handicapped students.
The area for the sidewalk was surveyed in February, plans were drawn up in CAD, and a start date of July was approved by Dirk Felger and the Whitko School Board during a presentation in April. Utility locates were performed in June, allowing work to proceed on schedule.
In preparation for placing the sidewalk, a portion of the existing asphalt parking lot pavement was sawcut and removed, the area was excavated to a depth of 10 inches below existing grade, formwork set, and 5 cubic yards of sand placed and compacted for a stable base below the sidewalk. The sidewalk required 6.25 cubic yards of concrete, and received a steel trowel and broom finish to ensure a non-skid surface. A surface sealcoat was sprayed on and control joints were sawcut into the hardened surface to aid in durability. The area was then re-graded to ensure that drainage was improved, followed by an application of seed and straw mulch.
Traffic paint was applied to the parking lot in a cross-hatch pattern to designate a no-parking area adjacent to the sidewalk entrance.
Much of the work was performed by the Scouts of Troop 85, with assistance and guidance from the adults. The project was aided by donations of material and labor from local businesses.
Assisting with the project were Boy Scouts David Osborn, Ethan Staton, Brenden Schraeder, Lucas Schmittler, Kyle Calhoun, Garrett Cokl, Cub Scouts James Langmaid and Judd Traxler, and adults Tim Traxler, Matt Staton, Marty Schmittler, Dave Calhoun, Susie Trixler, John Langmaid, Shannon Langmaid, Matt Osborn of Advanced Lawn and Landscape, Whitko maintenance director Dirk Felger, Dan McCoy of RL McCoy, Brian Ray of Speedway Concrete, Bobby Hursey of Speedway Concrete, Todd Darley of D&C Construction, Matthew Schmidt of Lowes, Rich Brooks of Speedway Sand and Gravel, Bobby Hipskind of Three Rivers Barricade and Dennis Hipskind of Three Rivers Barricade.
