October 2020 www.branchburgnews.com
Sunflower Champ Retains Title
Troop 185’s New Eagle Scouts
Zachary Tistan
Doug Sullivan
Scarecrow Row– Clover Court decided to go back to the basics for the 5th Annual Scarecrow Decorating Contest in 2019 with scarecrows dressed as… scarecrows. Each house secretly prepared their scarecrow until it was time for the reveal day. On a Sunday in mid-October, they all bring their scarecrows out and then walk from scarecrow to scarecrow to evaluate. Jill, Eric, Brianna, Matthew, Sean and Ryan Hannum are pictured with their Millennial Scarecrow (looking at the smartphone.) The neighbors end the evening at one of the neighbors’ houses, enjoying appetizers and good company. The kids love seeing the scarecrows every year. More and more people drive by each year to see the fantastic creations. Please come by to see them, but drive slowly, there are always kids out playing. - Submitted by Kristin Herman
a path between them. The project Eagle Scout project, he remade an also acted as the groundwork for a old trail for the St. Hubert’s animal statue of St. Dorothy to be placed in shelter. The trail was broadened and By Jason Lauducci, memory of Dottie Pacifico, an impor- mulched in order to create a more Troop 185 Scribe tant woman in the parish who passed comfortable walking path. A border Boy Scout Troop 185 recently was added to the trail to increase its away in 2017. gained three new Eagle Scouts. The Andy Ghosh is a sophomore at lifetime and plant overgrowth was Eagle Scout is the highest rank in Boy Somerville High School. For his removed. Scouts, and only a handful of scouts achieve this rank. To earn this rank one must do a service project that benefits the community in some way. These three Scouts are numbers 119121 in the Troop’s history. Zachary Tistan is a sophomore Dumpster Rentals at Somerville High School. For his Eagle Scout project, he built and inFast Service • 7 Days A Week stalled 275 feet of puncheon trails, reBackhoe Service • Trenching • Digging moved invasive species, and widened Tree Stump Removal • Wood Chipping the path at the Raritan Headwaters’ Fairview Farms location in Far Hills. Wood Splitting • Wood Recycling Doug Sullivan is a senior at the Farm Work & Maintenance Academy for Health and Medical Sciences at Somerset VoTech. For his EaFIREW gle Scout project, he made improveO FOR OPEN SS FOR S OD ments at the St. Ann Church garden. ALE E IN S U B Doug moved the placement of garden Call or text Dave Foran boxes in order to make space and laid Andy Ghosh
Irene Richter and her 12-foot tall sunflower
John Zampini and his second-place entry
Defending Choctaw Ridge Road Sunflower champion Irene Richter bested contest newcomers John and Margaret Zampini for tallest sunflower at the end of August. Irene grew the champion sunflower measuring in at 12 feet. The Zampinis were able to grow their best sunflower at 11 feet 9 inches, 3 inches shy of Irene’s prize-winning 12 footer. Sue and Steve Biuso came in a respectable 3rd with their 10-foot sunflower. This good-natured rivalry to see who can grow the tallest sunflower
from seeds was also a wonderful way to cheer all the neighborhood walkers during the pandemic. Neighbors got to see the plants progress from seeds to seedlings to flowers. Mark your spring 2021 calendars for the next contest. This group will be encouraging other residents to join in the sunflower contest fun. Look for more contest information in this newspaper early next year to give ample time to order your seeds. —Submitted by Margaret Zampini
Absolutely Anything Removed Disposal of Household Junk and Construction Debris
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