Community Corner

Girl Scouts Fix Up Bus Stop

Girl Scout Troop 858 fixed a bench and added landscaping to a bus stop along Sunset Point Road in Clearwater, earning a Bronze Award for their efforts.

Clearwater has a newly refurbished and landscaped bus stop along Sunset Point Road thanks to a troop of Girl Scouts.

"The girls got together to discuss community projects that they could undertake to earn a Bronze Award,” said Scout mom Sharon Akers-Tower. “One of the girls noticed that the bench was broken at this stop, which is close to our meeting venue. She suggested that the team fix and beautify the stop and the others agreed.”

The stop is just east of US 19 and served by PSTA’s Route 62

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The bronze award is the highest honor given to Girl Scout Juniors, who are Scouts in fourth or fifth grade. The first step in earning a Bronze Award requires the scouts to form a team to explore their community and develop ideas for an enhancement project.

The team contacted Kevin Hoyt, PSTA maintenance manager, and asked if he would work with them to improve the stop. Hoyt and his staff were eager to help and quickly provided a new concrete pad and bench.

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The scouts then painted the bench in Girl Scout colors, added their troop number 858, and surrounded the stop with decorative flowers and mulch. 

“They did an awesome job and the stop is beautiful,” Hoyt said. “They’re a very impressive group of youngsters.”

The girls lined the stop with numerous butterfly and hummingbird friendly plants including butterfly bush, honeysuckle and purple passion flower. Then they visited the site each day for weeks to water and make sure the plants took root.

“Now, every morning there are butterflies all around the stop, it’s really amazing,” said Akers-Tower.


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