Lucas Supinski of West Windsor, at right with Troop 40 Scout Master Michael Hasling, received his Eagle Scout Award on January 28. A senior at High School South, his project is the fulfillment of an idea he developed in eighth grade when he wrote a persuasive essay on why West Windsor was in need of a skate park. The essay, published in The News (July 25, 2003), caught the attention of a West Windsor town committee member and Supinski was invited to participate in the decision making and ultimately the planning of the approved skate park. For his Eagle project, he organized the construction of an informational kiosk that will be placed in front of the skate park, now under construction. The completed project involved 28 volunteers and 293 man hours.
Supinski is a lifelong area resident and began his scouting career as a Cub Scout in second grade. He has also spent many hours performing community service at the Trenton soup kitchen and the Princeton Crisis Ministry. He is also a member of the David Suarez Charity Softball team, a benefit for a scholarship named for David Suarez, a former West Windsor resident and Eagle Scout with Troop 40 who died on 9/11. At High School South, Supinski is involved with the Red Cross and the HELP clubs. A varsity member of the track team for four years, he throws the javelin and shot put.
The award was presented by West Windsor Council President Linda Geevers at an award ceremony at the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church. Supinski, now 17, was never really a skateboarder, but he was into trick biking — which actually uses the same equipment as skaters use in a skate park. According to his parents, Pam and Edward Supinski, he began to do tricks wherever he could find curbs or ramps or hills to jump off of and occasionally went to other skate parks outside of the township. Still an avid biker, he has traded in trick biking for mountain biking.
