Aspiring Eagle Scout Jared O’Brien, age 16, son of Jason and Shelly O’Brien of Montvale, recently completed a community project to create and install a Montvale Recreational Park wayfarer sign at the entrance of the EDA-owned Montvale Center for Commerce, along Rt. 460 in Montvale.

“It’s a great park that a lot of people don’t know is there,” O’Brien said. “I was looking for an idea for a service project and this seemed like the right thing to work on.”

O’Brien began the project a year ago as part of an Eagle Scout Service Project that he believed would ensure that residents of Bedford County would be able to find the recreational park that is located in the EDA-owned land close to Montvale Elementary School.

O’Brien followed the appropriate steps. He appeared at a recent EDA meeting to obtain formal permission. He had already received clearance with Miss Utility and AEP and he promised to provide a proposal sketch to the EDA and Parks and Recreation Department and to obtain any permits needed. The EDA authorized the sign and also agreed to provide $200 toward the cost, which totaled more than $1,000.

The Scout held various fundraisers in the past several months to raise the funds for the sign and his Troop 183 of Bedford assisted him in the installation in July.

“Anytime when people volunteer to help our community in any way, I think it’s great,” said Andy Dooley, Bedford Supervisor for District 6 which includes the Montvale community. “It’s about helping make our communities a better place to live, work and play.”