Over the summer, Chagrin Falls High School student David Di Staulo completed his Eagle Scout Project at Union Cemetery on Liberty Road in Bentleyville.
Union Cemetery was founded by Ralph Russell, a war veteran of the War of 1812. The cemetery contained his grave as well as the graves of his friends and family. When Di Staulo came across the cemetery, the front sign was falling apart, fungi was growing on it, a tree had fallen on the historical case describing the life of Russell, the grave stairway looked horrific and the metal handrail was coated in rust. After Di Staulo received permission from a member of the Bentleyville city council and a member of the Boy Scouts Greater Cleveland Council, he got to work on his project.
He recruited friends and family to help complete the project which took a total of five months and more than 115 hours of service to complete. Once it was done, the front sign was replaced, a new historical case was created, the staircase was coated with new gravel, the handrail chain was replaced with a new galvanized one, year round flowers were planted at the front of the cemetery and American flags were placed on every grave.
“It is wonderful to know that our students are taking our mission of empowerment out into the real world to help contribute to the community,” said Chagrin Falls High School Principal Steven Ast.
