First Posted: 1/29/2015
YATESVILLE — Though the courtyard outside the library of the Pittston Area High School is just a plain, grassy area, students in the school’s Leo Club are planning a change of scenery.
The Pittston Area High School Leo Club members are currently undergoing a project that will turn the school’s courtyard into an outdoor area where classes and activities can be held.
The three Leo Club members who are heading this project are Leo Club president Bryan Davis, 17, and co-chairmen of the courtyard project Brandon Strelecki, 17, and Christopher Wells, 17.
According to the three seniors, the project work was started by the graduating class of 2014. After the trio joined the Leo Club last year, they agreed to take over the project. By this time, plans had already been drawn up by an architect.
“When we joined the club we kind of just took it over,” said Davis. “We kind of took it and ran with it and we’ve been working on it ever since.”
Work on the courtyard has come to a halt due to the winter, but so far the progress made by the Leo Club includes the trimming of trees and planting flowers and bushes.
Leo Club supervisor Annmarie Paddock said work will continue as soon as the weather breaks.
“We’re looking at March,” said Paddock. “They have the help of Dupont Lions Club member Mark Kowalchick. He owns a landscaping business and he’s been donating his time and his equipment.”
The toughest part about working in the courtyard is because of the closed off area the students and volunteers working on it have to do so by hand.
Davis said he believes the lack of machinery is actually a benefit.
“I feel like we come together more as a community,” said Davis. “It’s more of a hands-on work. Everyone comes together.”
Davis said word was spread through the help of flyers and social media on when help was needed. Volunteers working on the courtyard have ranged from members of the Leo Club to members of the Dupont Lions Club to friends outside of both parties.
“We couldn’t do this without a good group of people working together, let alone with a big group working together,” said Wells. “It’s taking a long time because of the weather, (and) we can’t a Bobcat in here to bring in the stuff. We have literally everything working against us, but it’s going to come out eventually and hopefully it’s going to look great. It looks good on paper, so hopefully it looks as good when it’s done.”
Funding for the courtyard project has come through fundraisers and the three seniors recently presented their latest fundraiser at a Pittston Area school board meeting a few weeks ago.
The club is selling personalized engraved bricks at $100 apiece and they will be placed somewhere in the courtyard.
Forms can be purchased by calling Paddock at the high school at 570-654-2415 ext. 2250.
According to Paddock and the students, the project will not be fully completed prior to the end of the school year, saying they are looking to at least get the new patio and gazebo completed.
“Depending on how much funding we received through the course of this campaign, we’ll continue on,” said Paddock.
The Leo Club is a version of the Dupont Lions Club for younger members of the community.
Leo stands for “Leadership Experience Opportunity” and the club is associated with mostly community services.
Although Strelecki, Wells and Davis will be graduating this year, they said they are looking to become Lions Club members themselves with Wells said he is willing to do whatever it takes to see this project all the way through.
“We will definitely see that this project will be completed at some point,” said Wells. “We don’t know how long it’s going to take, but it’s going to get done.”
