THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509220204
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
Boy Scouts Brian Robertson and Mike Hertzler helped themselves during summer vacation, and thereby helped a Virginia Beach historical building, too.
Both teens are members of Troop 587 and are working on achieving Scouting's highest level, Eagle Scout.
The two 15-year-olds were among 14 Scouts who were recognized Sept. 9 by the U.S. Postal Service for their beautification effort in July at the 24th Street Post Office on Atlantic Avenue.
The Scouts planted shrubs, bulbs and flowers and overhauled the back parking lot. They set new landscape timbers, and spread several tons of gravel on the back lot to convert it into usable parking spaces.
The red-brick structure was built sometime in the middle '30s, said Lee Modlin, manager of that station and the Seapines Station on 32nd Street.
The refurbishing was financed by private funds solicited by the Scouts.
``It used to look like a swimming pool back there when it rained,'' said Carl Hertzler, Mike's father and a postal employee at the 24th Street station.
Like the Postal Service letter carriers, the Scouts didn't let the weather keep them from their appointed rounds.
``The weather was hot, so we got a 5:30 start on Friday morning,'' said Robertson's father, Barry, who helped with the work. ``We had all the planting done before 7:30.''
The civic-minded scouts finished their face lift the next day. Barry Robertson estimated that it took about 60 man- and boy-scout hours of labor to complete the job.
Hertzler attends Cape Henry Collegiate School, where he is a sophomore. Robertson is a sophomore at Cox High School.
Both boys have been active in Scouting for years.
``I've been in Scouts forever, since I was about 4,'' said Hertzler.
Robertson became a Boy Scout four years ago. Both are trying to rise to the rank of Eagle, which requires completing a community service project. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Boy Scouts Brian Robertson, left, and Mike Hertzler hope their
cleanup efforts at the 24th Street Post Office earn them Eagle
rank.
by CNB