A Scout’s honorable posts

Standing in a dusty patch of ground between two buildings at a Costa

Mesa women’s shelter, Eagle Scout hopeful Leonard Juska eyed a crew

of friends and fellow Scouts as they dug at the earth with picks and

shovels.

Some would say it takes a miracle to get a group of high school

boys to volunteer time from their precious remaining days of summer

vacation to perform manual labor on a blazing hot day.

But somehow 17-year-old Leonard persuaded his friends to do just

that over the weekend.

Leonard, a Boy Scout from Costa Mesa, had a good reason for

committing his pals to digging fence post holes in the heat.

The task -- to rebuild a deteriorating fence on the property of

Heritage House shelter -- is Leonard’s Eagle Scout project and the

final step in his quest for the coveted recognition.

Heritage House is a six-month, residential, alcohol- and

drug-treatment center for expectant mothers or mothers with children.

Like many other shelters, it depends on donations of time and money.

Based on a friend’s recommendation, Leonard approached Heritage

House with his offer to help. They were shocked and gladly accepted,

said Shawna Shipman of Heritage House.

“Donations are big here,” Shipman said. “Funding for these types

of programs is low. It’s a miracle place for women and children.”

In order to complete the Eagle Scout project, the scout must

coordinate and organize the operation, but they’re not allowed to do

any work themselves, Leonard said.

“The hardest part was probably getting people to come,” Leonard

said, adding that the project must be something that benefits the

community.

“I took my days off from Target to come work,” said Leonard’s

friend Louis Rizzacasa, 17, of Costa Mesa.

Working since 8 a.m. Friday, the crew had dismantled a 200-foot

fence and had begun digging deep holes where the fence posts will go.

“The whole fence was totally deteriorated,” Shipman said.

Materials for the project were funded by donations from friends

and local stores, Leonard said. Home Depot gave Leonard a discount on

materials and Larry’s Building Supplies in Huntington Beach donated

more than $500 in cement, Leonard said.

Though many of Leonard’s friends came to help of their own free

will, others needed a push.

“I called his mom,” Leonard said, pointing to friend Kourosh

Davatolagh, 18, of Huntington Beach. “She made him come.”

Beth Juska, Leonard’s mom, said she was proud of her son and

supported his effort, noting that he had chosen to become an Eagle

Scout even though few of his peers consider it the “cool” thing to

do.

“It’s a life achievement that he’ll always have with him,” she

said.