“A Good Turn” Produces a More Attractive Town

The Scout Patrol ensures they have supplies on hand before oiling the benches in the Village Green.

Jacob Szymanski is the patrol leader of the Griffin’s, associated with Troop 223, which just concluded a successful mission on the Palisades Village Green. That tiny triangular park, located in the middle of the Palisades, did not burn during the 2025 Palisades Fire. And since it was one of the few places that survived, it has been the site of numerous ceremonies and one of the few inviting places for people to gather.

The  Green, which is a private park, depends on donations and volunteers to keep it looking good – no city money is allocated to this park. Szymanski and his patrol noticed the wooded benches were looking neglected and decided to turn it into a “good-turn” trip.

In the Scouting world, “a good turn trip is a short two-to-three-hour volunteering event where we help out a local organization and give back to our community,” Szymanki said.

The Scouts oil-finished the wooden benches. “That really helped beautify the area,” the patrol leader said, “and the benches really needed it after the fire.”

President of the Village Green Board, Cindy Kirven said, “His patrol arrived on a Sunday morning with supplies and a willingness to help. They refinished all of the benches in a couple of hours and they look great.

“The Village Green appreciates both monetary donations from the community as well as volunteer donations of time like this,” Kirven said.

The photo shows a bench that was put in place for beloved Chamber of Commerce Executive Arnie Wishnick, who also served on the Village Green Board for years. The late Wishnick is probably beaming and would have had nothing but congratulations for these young men for their excellent job.

This was the bench prior to work done by the Griffin’s.

This was the bench after the boys were finished.