ARA Baseball Field Gets New Fence with Eagle Scout Project

The Audubon Recreation Association (ARA) Baseball field has a new post and rail fence thanks to Nicholas Mazza’s Eagle Scout Project.

Mazza, 17, a Methacton High School junior, is a Boy Scout with Audubon Troop 313.

According to Beth Ann Mazza, Nicholas’ mother and member of the Parks and Recreation Board, Nicholas Mazza started Scouting in the first grade as a Tiger Cub and progressed through the ranks of Scouting. Prior to achieving his Eagle Scout rank, Nicholas served as the Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 313, which is a Senior Scout position that leads the entire troop.

Although Nicholas completed his Eagle Scout project on the morning of Dec. 9, he gave the official presentation before the Lower Providence Township Parks and Recreation Board meeting on Dec. 11.

During the presentation, Nicholas explained why he chose to build a post and rail fence for his Eagle Scout project.

“The benefit is that it will control the flow of traffic in and out of the parking lot and also prevent children from crossing the road,” Nicholas told the board.

According to Charlotte Mandracchia, Parks and Recreation board member, cars would sometimes drive across the grass to access the baseball field parking lot, and observed the potential danger for youth using the field.

“People would be running across that street all the time,” Mandracchia said. “It was really needed.”

Nicholas said that the fence is 250-feet in length, consisting of 26 sections with one end post. The fence project coincides with the township’s parking lot improvements.

He added that 12 Scouts from his troop and two adults helped construct the fence, which took approximately three hours.

“Since it was raining a little bit, and the ground was soft, the digging went faster,” Nicholas said. “So, it all went well.”

He further noted that Lower Providence Township waived permit fees and the Parks and Recreation board helped with construction permissions.

The overall cost of the project came to approximately $1,100, for which he was able to raise $1,300. Nicholas said that he plans on returning the leftover funds to the project’s donors, explaining that Eagle Scout projects should not monetarily benefit  the Boy Scout troop or the Boy Scout organization, rather funds raised must directly benefit the community.

Members of Nicholas’ family and troop attended his presentation before the board, including his Scoutmaster David Cemini and Assistant Scoutmaster David Mazza, who is Nicholas’ father.