Scout’as project encourages reading and exercising

Oconee County Boy Scout Stephen Johnson’s Eagle Scout project has drawn the praise of the county public libraries. Stephen took his love of reading and incorporated it into a story trail recently built at the South Cove County Park near Seneca. Families may follow the trail near Boat Ramp 1 and stop to read a children’s book. Stephen and nearly 20 volunteers laid 18 posts into the ground May 4. Each post carries a sign board and a page from a book. Stephen Johnson’s path to Eagle Scout started when he was 10 years old, when he joined Troop 294 in Mountain Rest. When that troop disbanded, he moved to Troop 125 in Salem. Between the two, he has progressed through the ranks. According to the Oconee Public Library, the teenager’s project encourages reading, exercising, and being outdoors.