Scout helps out church with yard, stair project

BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

Greg Salwitz (r) improved and beautified the yard of the Unitarian Society of New Brunswick, Tices Lane, as part of his effort to become an Eagle Scout. EAST BRUNSWICK — He’s built them a stairway to heaven.

Well, even if the stairs only go as far as the Unitarian Society of New Brunswick building on Tices Lane, churchgoers can enjoy a more functional and beautified atmosphere in the side yard thanks to the efforts of Greg Salwitz, a member of Boy Scout Troop 17.

As part of his effort to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, Salwitz, with help from fellow Scouts and parents, constructed a staircase of 25 steps that leads to the side entrance of the church. The effort, which included the establishment of a nature trail and garden, took more than 300 hours of manpower.

The stairs will help to beautify the area, as the side entrance was already reachable.

An existing nature trail did not lead anywhere specific, so Salwitz extended it to reach from the end of the parking lot, through a “tunnel of trees,” to the new stairs.

Thanks to Salwitz and friends, the stairs run along a new garden where small trees and flowers have been planted.

The Scouts built two bottom flights of stairs, one with a half dozen steps and the other with 14 to 16. The staircases then merge, and another five or six steps take the visitor to the church’s side entrance. The steps are made of wood.

Salwitz, 17, a student at The Peddie School in Hightstown, said the total elevation of the structure is 581 inches. He received help not only from fellow Scouts but also their parents. He also thanked Councilman Donald Klemp, who played a vital role and even pitched in some physical labor.

“He was a very big help,” Salwitz said of Klemp.

Salwitz’s mother, Nancy Pinkin, is also on the Township Council. His father, James, is an oncologist in East Brunswick.

The church is on a hill, Salwitz noted, and the playground is slanted with part of it at the top of the hill.

The work took the group of about 25 people four days to complete. The planning, design and a drive to collect materials took far more time than the labor itself, Salwitz noted.

He said his stairs and other amenities have beautified the area.

“It’s a nice way to go now,” said Salwitz, whose family attends services at the church.