2020 Capstone Winner
Jason Gardiner, 16, of Troop 57 in East Hampton completed his Eagle Scout project on Saturday, October 10, by installing two historical signs along the East Hampton portion of the Air Line Trail. He put up these signs to make access to historical information easier to the members of the community, and give them the ability to learn about the history of the trail.
One sign is located halfway between the Watrous Road and Smith Streets section of the Air Line Trail at a location called Bishop’s Cut. The second sign is located at the Cobalt trail head parking lot on Depot Hill Road.
His funding came from donations from family and friends, as well as two generous grants provided by the Rotary Club of East Hampton and the East Hampton Arts & Culture Commission. Additionally, Ace Hardware of East Hampton donated all eight bags of concrete.
Jason researched the topics and found the historical pictures for the signs by reviewing archives at the Chatham Historical Society, the East Hampton Public Library and the University of Connecticut Archives. He also received help from local historian Sandra Doran.
The signs were designed and created by Cheryl Gioielli, of Gioielli Designs, and approved by David Buckley of DEEP and Betsy Pittman, head archivist at UCONN. Once Jason had the finished signs, he reached out to his troop and adult leaders for help installing the signs.
