Eagle Scout project honors Max Jones

by Sharlene Irete

People Editor

Ruhenstroth resident Richard Francis is making it his Eagle Scout project to create a community garden to honor Max Jones, a longtime Carson Valley resident who died in March. Jones was the first presiding elder for the Carson Valley branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and scout master for Boy Scout troop 140.

Francis, 17, said the garden behind the LDS church on Mahogany Drive in Minden, will be called the Patriarch Max Jones Community Garden.

"Max Jones was a big part of our whole church and brought scouting to the community," he said. "The garden has an amazing view of the mountains. It will be a nice place for people to go."

Volunteers are needed to help work on the garden at 10 a.m. Saturday at 891 Mahogany Drive. Bring gloves, shovels, water and a sack lunch.

"We roto-tilled already and have it prepared for planting trees," said Francis. "The work to be done on Saturday is to plant trees and make a path out of broken concrete."

The garden will have honeysuckle, hibiscus, and butterfly bushes; maple, cherry, ash and pine trees, paths and eventually, log benches and a flower garden.

Businesses that have helped with the Eagle Scout project are Home Depot with the donation of four cherry trees and four shrubs, Northern Valley Garden Center donated four bushes, Greenhouse Garden Center donated pre-emergent and plant food, Designing with Nature donated two Austrian pines, Meeks donated rebar, Lowe's donated tree stakes, Full Circle Compost donated compost and mulch and Genoa Trees donated two maple trees.

Plant donations are welcome. Information, Richard Francis, 297-1610.