7-16-2013 10:09pm

Bonczyk Builds New Community Billboard at Saline Fire Hall

Boy Scout Andrew Bonczyk, son of John and Cynthia Bonczyk, is hard at work building a new community sign in front of the Saline Area Fire Department on Harris Street and Michigan Avenue.

By Monday afternoon, Bonczyk had already broken ground, dug a 42-inch hole and set up the frame for the sign, a bigger replacement for an old sign that was used for years by many community organizations to advertise events.

“It’s going smoothly. We just needed to find the right time to start the project,” said Bonczyk, a rising Saline High School senior who recently returned from his overseas tour of the UK with the Saline Fiddlers and who begins band camp next week. “Digging the hole was tough work. We dug it by hand because there is a storm drain down there that we didn’t want to hit with a machine.”

The digging was easier on the second day when Bonczyk, his father and Eagle Scout project advisor were joined by other Scouts. Bonczyk planned to pour concrete Monday and build a cinderblock base and a concrete slab Tuesday before starting the wooden exterior. By the end of the week, painting and landscaping will being.

Anyone wishing to financially assist in the project can write a check to the Friends of the Saline Area Fire Department and drop it off at the department.

“A lot of organizations have used this community sign over the years and this would be a chance to give something back,” said Fire Chief Craig Hoeft.

Bonczyk is a member of Boy Scout Troop 416. He is working on attaining Eagle Scout rank.

When finished the sign will be 85 inches wide and 80 inches tall. It will feature the Saline Area Fire Department logo. The space for advertising will be increased to 30 inches tall and 55 inches wide.