• The project took three days to complete.
This Fall, Star Valley Middle School’s Student Council placed four benches on Star Hill above Afton. The service project included placement of two benches along the trail to the Star on the hill and two benches at the Star for hikers to relax and enjoy.
Sixteen students participated in the project, investing “lots of man hours,” said Scott Milne, SVMS History teacher and Student Council Advisor in an email to SVI Media on Monday. The four benches were donated by the school and students worked over three different days to get them placed along the trail. “This project was a major undertaking but has received a lot of positive support,” said Milne.
Justin Laycock with the Greys River Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest Service was “consulted and gave permission to place benches along the trail and at the Star if the Town of Afton was supportive,” Milne said. SVMS students “Aibree Peavler and Ruby Morgan presented a proposal to the Afton Town Council,” requesting support for the project to donate and place the four benches. With the Town’s support, students moved forward with their work.
On the first day of the project, students hiked the hill, measuring distances, and selected the placement locations for each bench. They “dug out the hill and leveled the area for the four benches and dug holes for the cement to be placed.”
Day two included hauling 2,000 pounds of cement. They “placed eye bolts into the cement to be able to chain the benches down.”
On the third day of the project, students “disassembled the four benches and hauled them up the hill in pieces.” They reassembled the benches onsite, leveled them, and chained the benches to the cemented eye bolts.
“It was a great opportunity for the students to provide a valuable and meaningful service project for the community,” said Milne. “I was very proud and impressed with them and all they did to accomplish this project. They spent a lot of time planning, preparing, and carrying out this project which was no easy task. It was fun to work alongside them and to see them working together. It was a great example of how service can make a positive impact for both the giver and receiver.”
