Marin Independent Journal

Marin teen's Eagle Scout project focuses on flooding

- By Krissy Waite kwaite@marinij.com

A Corte Madera teen has developed a unique method to help property owners fill sandbags during the winter storm season.

Rory McLean, a student at Redwood High School, built two sandbag filling stations to be installed at sand pits in Heatherwoo­d and Piper parks in Larkspur. The city will maintain the sand pits while the two stations, built as part of his Eagle Scout service project, will remain for community use.

McLean said he was inspired by all the times he and his father would come to the sand pits.

His father owns an apartment building in the area and McLean would often be recruited to help fill sandbags — one person would hold the bag open and the other would shovel.

He wondered how someone who does not have an extra set of hands would be able to complete the task. The city is no stranger to seasonal flooding thanks to overflow from Corte Madera Creek.

“It's not very user-friendly,” McLean said. “It's a big hassle, and we do this every year.”

McLean said did some research to come up with the design, including checking out the sandbag filling stations in the

nearby areas. The A-frame structure was inspired by stations in Corte Madera. Still, he wanted to design the structure so one person could do the job alone.

The design of his station is simple, but effective: One person is able to remove one of the cylinders from underneath, line it with a sandbag, shovel sand into the funnel on top and then pull the bag out when it is full.

To become an Eagle Scout, the highest achievemen­t or rank in the Boy Scouts of America, a scout must complete a community service project that includes planning and leadership.

McLean has been thinking of

 ?? ALAN DEP — MARIN INDEPENDEN­T JOURNAL ?? Rory McLean, 17, of Corte Madera demonstrat­es his sandbag filling station at Heatherwoo­d Park in Larkspur. The station was McLean's Eagle Scout project.
ALAN DEP — MARIN INDEPENDEN­T JOURNAL Rory McLean, 17, of Corte Madera demonstrat­es his sandbag filling station at Heatherwoo­d Park in Larkspur. The station was McLean's Eagle Scout project.

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