Drivers along state Route 51 in Butternuts can catch a glimpse of a Boy Scout's Eagle project that has drawn local approval.
Or, they can stop by for a 2 p.m. Saturday dedication of the improved Upton Park Cemetery, about three miles south of the village of Gilbertsville.
The project by Tyler Peck, 17, of Unadilla, included a split-rail fence along the road front, a park bench and a sign with information, said Steven Gayle, Peck's Gilbertsville Troop 44 scoutmaster.
Peck also researched who was buried in the cemetery with the help of the Gilbertsville historian, he said. There are about 30 people buried there, most from the early to mid-1800s, Peck said.
The only thing left for the Scout in his quest for the organization's highest achievement is scheduling a date for the Eagle ceremony, Gayle said.
Peck, who will attend the State University at Albany this fall and study chemical biology, said he is glad the achievement is close at hand.
The Unadilla resident joined the Boy Scouts when he was a kindergartner in the Unatego School District. When he was in sixth grade, he joined the Gilbertsville troop after he changed school districts.
From the time one joins, Peck said, the possibility of becoming an Eagle Scout was something that was always discussed by the troop.
"I decided to shoot for it," he said.
His work has not gone unnoticed.
"We've had a number of comments from local residents about how nice it was," said Barbara Lilley of the cemetery improvements. She is the wife of Butternuts Town Supervisor Keith Lilley.
Tyler received approval from the town board to do the work about a year ago, she said. Her husband signed the necessary papers, and the project was completed before Memorial Day. There have been improvements made since then.
"When he sets out to do something, he completes it," Barbara Lilley said of Peck. "He is a very determined person who comes through."
Peck has been active in his troop and serves as a mentor to the younger members, she said. "He sets a good example for others."
Gayle said that he has been a scoutmaster for 12 years and has worked with Peck since he was in sixth grade. Peck has served as a youth leader in the troop, Gayle said, and has been chosen by fellow Scouts to the equivalent of a Scouting honor society.
"Peck is clearly motivated and has shown good leadership skills," Gayle said.
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