P’ville Scout’s Project Helps Village Relive Local History
Pleasantville High School senior Conor Sweeney is giving his home community a chance to relive village history.
Sweeney has produced the Pleasantville Historical Audio Tour, an hour-long journey that encompasses the rich history of the historic village. He created the project this summer as part of his Troop 12 Eagle Scout project.
“The town is in a very interesting area and we have a long and interesting history,” Sweeney said. “This is our town and there’s all these things that happened that made it what it is now.”
The tour can be accessed from any smart phone via YouTube or SoundCloud guiding listeners on the tour throughout the village. The tour begins at the front of the old railroad building on Wheeler Avenue and ends in the Old Village beside the Old Methodist Cemetery.
The recording also features a variety of community members, including Pleasantville High School Assistant Principal Gregg Fonde, several teachers, a local historian and Sweeney’s scoutmaster, helping to narrate the history of the village along the tour.
The 17-year-old received even more support for the project when Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer agreed to be his sponsor.
“The mayor lives half a block away from me so I waited for him to walk his dog and pitched him my idea,” Sweeney said. “He thought it was really interesting and liked the idea.”
While Sweeney was faced with the task of creating a cohesive and informative tour, he quickly realized he couldn’t fit every bit of information into the hour. The project became more complex than what he originally envisioned.
“You want to get in as much information as you can, but you want to keep them walking and make sure they don’t get horribly, horribly lost,” Sweeney said. “It was a balance between giving directions and information but keeping them moving.”
Sweeney, who still awaits an Eagle Board review of his project, said he’s proud of his work and overjoyed by the reception he’s received. He is also honored to follow in his father’s footsteps to hopefully become an Eagle Scout.
After a year of research and hard-work, Sweeney would love nothing more than to have local officials make his project the official village tour for residents and visitors.
“I hope that residents will listen to it as a walk back in time in history” Sweeney said. “And for non-residents it’s a great way to get an understanding of the town and its history. \
It’s a cool and interesting way to experience Pleasantville’s history.”
