| Place a Classified | Subscribe today | July 10, 2009 |
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Scout makes ISP memorial
POCATELLO — The silver, black and yellow flowers that Matt Krumwiede and his volunteer workers planted match the colors of the Idaho State Police patch.
It’s a splash of color in the well-kempt lawn surrounding the ISP headquarters. More importantly, the 15-year-old Century High School freshman’s Eagle Scout project honors Idaho police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. At the center of Matt’s recently completed ISP Memorial Garden is a pink sandstone bolder bearing the ISP emblem above the inscription: “In memory of those men and women of the Idaho State Police who have given the last full measure of devotion to protect the citizens of Idaho.” Five ISP officers, mostly from North and Central Idaho, have been killed in the line of duty. The most recent officer killed, Linda Hough, died in 2000.
“She was shot right out in our parking lot in Coer d’Alene,” Capt. Ed Gygli, who heads the local regional ISP headquarters. With Matt’s new garden mostly complete — he still has several more flowers to plant — local police officials thought it fitting to move an annual ceremony to honor fallen law enforcement officers from City Hall to the ISP headquarters, 5205 S. Fifth Ave.
Gygli said the 10 a.m. ceremony on May 15 will also serve to dedicate the memorial. Honor guards, including Matt and other Boy Scouts, will be present, and Mayor Roger Chase has been asked to speak. Matt’s garden enhances the Eagle project his big brother Paul finished three years ago. Paul, with help from the Idaho Transportation Department, erected three flagpoles in front of the ISP headquarters for hoisting the American flag, the Idaho state flag and the ISP flag.
Matt’s garden, a project Gygli suggested after Matt contacted him to offer his services, is located at the base of Paul’s flagpoles. Matt was impressed at the great support his project received from the community.
“It’s nice because the Idaho Transportation Department helped my brother with the flagpoles and digging them in there. They were really happy to help me because they really liked my brother’s project,” Matt said. ITD helped Matt tear out old concrete and build new curbing around the memorial, which is also lined by black, volcanic rocks he salvaged from a construction site, with permission from the property owner.
Walker Monuments sold the engraved stone at a substantial discount. Town and County Gardens, Pocatello Sod Farm, and Cobblestone Creek Nursery also made substantial donations. Matt admits he doesn’t have much of a green thumb and often had to consult with a Cobblestone Creek official for advice. His memorial include about 100 perennials, including snow in summer and columbine and two large shrubs.
Matt, who plays on the local lacrosse team Pocatello Bandits with his twin brother Mark, has a busy schedule between school, Boy Scouts and practices. But he found time whenever possible after school or on days when school was not in session to work on the project, usually with a sizable group of helpers. He believes the project, which he started in January, helped him learn organizational skills.
“I got to meet a lot of great people, and I learned a lot from it that you can’t just go out and do. You need a plan, and you have to have a schedule,” Matt said. Matt’s father, Dennis Krumwiede, believes the Eagle project taught his son a great deal about project management and helped him grow as a person.
“I can understand now more and more how important Eagle projects are to a boy’s life if it requires enough planning,” Dennis said. “I saw growth in my son through the process.” By John O'Connell Article RatingReader CommentsSubmit a CommentCommenting RulesWe encourage your feedback and dialog. All comments are subject to deletion by our Web staff.
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