Eagle Scout Project Shines At Bethel Historical Society

BETHEL, CT — The community pitched in with a Bethel Eagle Scout's project, and now the community is reaping the benefit.

For his scouting capstone, Kyle Stejskal designed and built four 7-foot lit cabinets to house the art that was spilling out of storage crates and onto the floor of the Bethel Historical Society. Planning for the project had been underway since pre-COVID, and suffered various pandemic-related delays.

Kyle led a crew of 29 volunteers to not only build the cabinetry, paint the walls, ceiling, doors, windows and trim of the museum. The crew also brightened all the museum lighting, and replaced the curtains. Construction was throughout June and July of 2021, and Kyle amassed a total of 619 project hours.

The project was unveiled this past Sunday at Kyle's Eagle Scout Court of Honor, held at the Bethel Historical Society's 2nd Meeting House with his Newtown Troop #270 and 75 guests.

Guest speakers included Bethel First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker, Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, and state Rep. Mitch Bolinsky, 106th District, all of whom presented Kyle with proclamations. Kyle was also given a flag that flew over the CT State Capitol building.

Crucial to the project's success was the generosity of various Bethel vendors. Kevin McMahon of K-Man Glass donated all of the glass for the cabinet shelves and doors. Jeff Bruno of Codfish Hill Construction contributed all the poplar wood for the cabinets. Steve DeMarco of Demarco Construction donated all the poplar wood for the cabinets. Tom's Paint and Ring's End Lumber of Bethel donated paint for the project, and Tom Barnum of Barnum Woodworks contributed construction of the cabinet door frames. There were many private donors as well.

Kyle is a 2021 graduate of Bethel High School and is now a freshman at Marywood University's School of Architecture in Scranton, PA.