Valley Stream scout is by the numbers

Children are taught from a young age to know their address in case of an emergency. But when those first responders show up, they need to know where to go. That was the basis for Boy Scout Anthony Bosko’s community service project, which he completed on June 21 as he works toward his Eagle rank.

Bosko and a group of volunteers painted the house numbers on curbs in the Westwood section of Valley Stream, a project that had been in the works for several months. The 17-year-old member of Troop 109 said he hit 168 houses on Cornwell Avenue, Foster Avenue and surrounding streets.

He got the idea from an Eagle Scout he met who did the project in another community about 20 years ago. “I thought the idea was kind of interesting,” Bosko said, adding that he spent a lot of time thinking about an Eagle project.

Before work could begin, Bosko reached out to the village to make sure that he was allowed to paint the curbs. He explained that the numbers were there years ago, but had faded over time, or the curbs had been replaced.

Bosko had to acquire the right tools for the job, including cans of flat black and white spray paint, and stencils. He also had to recruit volunteers, and nearly 20 people signed up to help, including his father, brother, friends and fellow scouts. “It wouldn’t have been possible without volunteers for this project,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it alone.”

The group broke up into teams. First they sprayed 6-inch by 9-inch black boxes in front of all the homes. Once that paint dried, they returned and added white numbers. Bosko said that addresses ranged from 1 to the 300s. Most homes had the numbers somewhere, but for the few that didn’t, Bosko either looked at Google maps or asked the homeowners.

“Most of the homeowners were pretty pleased with this,” he said of the project. “I was initially concerned that some people wouldn’t want to have it on their curbs.”

To raise money for the project, he and his brother, Daniel, 15, played their guitars for an hour at Sip This coffeehouse on Rockaway Avenue. They collected nearly $400 in donations, which covered the cost of supplies. Bosko has been playing the guitar since he was in third grade.

Money left over from that night, in addition to the $75 he received in contributions from the homeowners while doing his project, will be donated to the Valley Stream Fire Department.

Bosko started out as a Cub Scout with Pack 109 before moving on to the Boy Scouts, where he is now a patrol leader. He initially wasn’t sure if he wanted to be an Eagle Scout, noting that it is an expectation in his troop, but decided about three years ago he wanted to earn the rank.

For Bosko, scouting is about having fun, and his favorite part of the experience is camping. He said that his brother is still deciding if he wants to be an Eagle Scout, and he is not pushing him in either direction. The Eagle rank should be something a person earns for themselves, Bosko said, not for their parents or scout leaders.

Now that his Eagle project is completed, Bosko needs to earn two more merit badges — cooking and family life. He is hoping to appear before an Eagle Board of Review in November, and have his Court of Honor ceremony the following month, around his 18th birthday.

Bosko just completed his junior year at St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset, and began his summer by attending the five-day Boys State government and leadership program at upstate Morrisville State College, sponsored by the American Legion. After high school, he hopes to attend West Point.