Staff photo by Fritz Busch  New Ulm High School senior Glenn Howell, left; Martin Griebel, center; and Isaac Davis, both of New Ulm, install a bench Saturday on a trail they recently built with friends in Adam’s Park. The park is located just north of Cottonwood Street, where it crosses the Cottonwood River at the south end of New Ulm.

NEW ULM — Chain saws whirred in Adams Park Saturday as a New Ulm High School senior worked on his Eagle Scout Community Service Project.

A few weeks ago, Glenn Howell and a number of his friends cleared a path for a three-fifths mile, unpaved trail loop in Adams Park, along the west bank of the Cottonwood River, just north of Cottonwood Street on the south edge of New Ulm.

Earlier this month, the young men got help from Kenny and Tom Griebel, David and Cindy Bode, Dylan and Joey Kotten, Zach and Josh Dittrich, and Brian Longtin to clear trees and undergrowth and create a trail.

The City of New Ulm Park and Recreation Department donated wood for benches the teens installed on the trail. The benches are secured by three-foot long wooden footings to keep them from floating off during river flooding.

Glenn Howell’s father, Steve Howell of Sleepy Eye, said he hopes people become aware of the trail and use it regularly.

“If enough people use the trail, it shouldn’t be as difficult to maintain,” Steve Howell said.

Attaining the Eagle rank is the dream of many a Boy Scout and his parents. It looks good on a rèsumè and shows commitment to a program over an extended span of time.

Eagle Scout candidates must earn 21 merit badges including 13 merit badges for first aid, citizenship in the community, citizenship in the nation, citizenship in the world, communication, cooking, personal fitness, emergency preparedness or lifesaving, environmental science or sustainibility, personal management, swimming, hiking or cycling, camping and family life.

The Eagle rank is a major advancement milestone, but not the culmination of scouting. After reaching Eagle, a scout can continue to earn merit badges and earn an Eagle Palm for each five additional merit badges.

Eagle scouts can continue to lead and guide the troop or change focus to helping Cub Scouts become Boy Scouts; become a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, helping the Scoutmaster with projects to improve the troop. Or he can look for worthwhile endeavors outside of scouting to which he can apply his scouting background.

For more information, visit www.boyscouttrail.com/ boy-scouts/eagle-scouts.asp