Dexter Township Teen Completes Eagle Scout Project

Dexter Township teen Matt Mills, a member of Boy Scout Troop 476, has funded and constructed four benches and four encased signs for maps and posters for the new Chelsea Wellness Path for his Eagle Scout project.

The public paths connect Silver Maples of Chelsea, a retirement community, to Chelsea Community Hospital, St. Mary Church, Chelsea School District athletic fields, the Chelsea Senior Center and Main Street, following the historic interurban railway line.

A ribbon-cutting celebration and inaugural Path Walk is set for 2 p.m. Thursday at Silver Maples of Chelsea, 100 Silver Maples Dr. 

Matt, a Chelsea High School senior, has been a Boy Scout for seven years.

“I really enjoy Scouts because I’ve been able to do many different things a lot of people don’t get to experience,” he said. “I’ve met a ton of great people and had a lot of fun. I’ve learned many ... skills that I’ll be able to use for the rest of my life.

“I’ve really enjoyed this project because I’ve been able to build things from scratch, which I really enjoy," Matt said. "Also, I’ve liked working with all the people that have come out to help me."

Matt, the son of Vaughn and Joanne Mills, will be a freshman at Michigan State University in the fall. While he has no clear career goal right now, he is considering a business or premedicine degree.

Other Scouts helped with the project, as did Matt's parents, brothers and grandfather. Chelsea Lumber supplied the lumber with a 10 percent discount.

Matt, who was on the CHS wrestling, track and bowling teams and is a member of the National Honor Society, attends the First United Methodist Church in Chelsea and belongs to the youth group.

The Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation—dedicated to wellness and community health in the school districts of Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Manchester and Stockbridge—funded the creation of the wellness paths, a project originally envisioned by Jerry Wilczynski, president and CEO of Silver Maples of Chelsea.