By David Fleet
Editor
Goodrich-Thanks to an area scout, the community is a little cleaner and more welcoming to outdoor activities.
High school senior Joseph Spress, 17, received his Eagle Scout rank on Oct. 19 at Goodrich United Methodist Church after completing a final project of a bicycle rack at the Village Commons.
Spress, who joined scouts as a Wolf in 2007 collected more than six tons of scrap steel from the community and sold the recyclable material for more than $600, enough to fund the project.
“I noticed there was a lot of old rusted steel items around town,” he said. “So we just asked and everyone was just glad to get rid of it. It was someone’s junk that’s now put to good use.”

Spress, who along with 12 other scouts completed the instillation of the Commons bike rack in just one day, noticed many local bikers rode through the Commons area but had no where to park or lock their bike.
“Many stop off and rest by the Kearsley Creek or sit on the picnic tables,” he said. “There’s now a place to stand up their bikes.”
Spress stayed with scouting through high school due the good friends he made and the joy of camping.
“Scouting has been great,” he said. “From leadership skills to the work ethics developed in earning many badges over the years, scouting has been a lot of work but very rewarding.”
Following graduation, Spress plans on college and a career in the aerospace industry.