Baldwin resident Andrew Ortiz becomes an Eagle Scout

Baldwin resident Andrew Ortiz never expected that he would become an Eagle Scout when he first joined the Cub Scouts years ago.

"I just wanted to go camping and light fires and use knives," said Ortiz, a member of Baldwin Boy Scout Troop 182. "It took a little while for me to realize that I wanted to be [an Eagle Scout], but I realized it."

And on May 22, with fellow Scouts, family and friends in attendance, Ortiz would achieve his goal at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony. Nassau County Legislator Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin), a Baldwin Eagle Scout himself, was also in attendance for the Court of Honor ceremony.

Ortiz, an alumnus of Baldwin Middle School and Plaza School, spent nearly 500 hours on his Eagle Project, which was essentially a fix-up of the Tom Sheppard Cabin, which is owned by the Baldwin Boys Association. Working with that group, friends and neighbors, Ortiz washed, caulked and painted the cabin's outside walls; built stone benches around a camp fire; added tiles inside the building; and removed overgrown weeds and planted flowers on the property.

But even with all the time spent dedicated to the Scouts, Ortiz still finds time to swim and run track competitively, work as a waiter at the Coral House, and play guitar in a local band. He is also an avid chess player and analyst.

He said he hopes to pursue criminal justice or journalism, and would ultimately like to become a lawyer.