Boy Scout, Jim Razumny of Saugus, Rebuilds Partridge Island Boardwalk at Reedy Meadow

Thanks to the efforts of Jim Razumny and Boy Scout Troop 61 of Saugus, the Partridge Island Boardwalk at Reedy Meadow in Lynnfield will once again be open to the public. After being damaged by winter storms over the past few years, the boardwalk was closed to the public because of unsafe and impassible conditions.

Late last fall, Jim Razumny, a 17 year-old senior at Northeast Metro Tech. High School in Wakefield, selected repairing the boardwalk as a community service project to help him earn the rank of Eagle Scout. "Last fall I decided to make achieving the rank of Eagle Scout a priority", said Razumny. During the first two weekends in May, Razumny, with help from 31 fellow Boy Scouts and adult leaders from Troop 61, completed a rebuild of the worst sections of the boardwalk.

"Rebuilding the boardwalk was a very satisfying experience. By coordinating this project, I learned leadership and organizational skills that will help me throughout my adult life," said Razumny. "The most exciting aspect of the project was seeing the job once it was completed. We really made a difference."

The Partridge Island Boardwalk is owned by the Town of Lynnfield, and plans for the rebuild were coordinated by Betty Adelson, Lynnfield Conservation Commission Administrator.

According to Razumny, "this project would not have been possible without the generous donations and project support from Boy Scout Troop 61 members and adult leaders, and the donation of $1,200 raised by the Lynnfield Middle School students.

Special thanks go to Scout Leader Nelson Miller of Saugus, Betty Adelson - Administrator for the Lynnfield Conservation Commission, and the Saugus River Watershed Council.

In-kind donations were also made by Moynihan Lumber of Beverly, Hart's Hardware of Wakefield, Richard Wolneiwicz of Atlas Landscaping, Mr. Kook Lawry, Santoro's Subs of Saugus, Dunkin Donuts - Route 1 North, Dunkin Donuts - Route 1 South, Prince Restaurant, and Stop & Shop of Route 1, Saugus."

"Thanks to the hard work of Jim and the other scouts from Troop 61 in Saugus, the boardwalk will now be available for natural history and environmental education programs for youths and families from throughout the watershed," said Joan LeBlanc, Director of the Saugus River Watershed Council.