Eagle Scout improves Fritsch Elementary

Fritsch Elementary School students will return to a brighter campus this morning.

"I hope, at the very least, it beautifies the area," said Brian Waltz, 17. "It was starting to look pretty dingy. But it should help out with safety, too."

Waltz, 17, enlisted the help of friends and other volunteers to repaint the bus benches and safety circles around the school for his Eagle Scout Project. His mother, Irene Waltz, teaches technology there.

"If I can do some community service and help out my mom at the same time, that would be all the better," he said.

Waltz recruited about 20 volunteers daily, from Thursday through Saturday, to sand and repaint benches. They also repainted the red safety circles, which indicate where the doors swing open to avoid collisions with students.

Volunteers from his church - the Hot Springs Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - baked refreshments to serve to laborers.

Among those sanding benches Friday afternoon was Dan Brown, Fritsch vice principal.

"It' a great project to give back to the community," he said. "The school doesn't have the resources to do this. It's great for the students to take on this project."

And he had another reason for helping.

"I'm an Eagle Scout, too," he said. "I'm helping out a fellow scout."

Fellow students also returned to lend a hand.

"Brian's a friend, and this is a really good school," said Merrill Asp, 12. "It will be safer and better now. It will look new again."

Contact Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1272.