By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — One local girl scout is aiming to clean up Claremont.
Kylie Tilton is a senior Girl Scout this year and is working her way toward the Gold Award, the GSA’s highest achievement. Tilton has come up with a concept she’s calling “How Long Until It’s Gone”, which will take the form of educational kiosks at the parks in Claremont. To help meet her funding goals, Tilton will be hosting a spaghetti dinner at the Claremont Savings Bank Community Center on October 28, 2022, from 4:30 until 6:30 PM.
Tilton’s journey with the Girl Scouts began roughly nine years ago when she and her mom started attending meetings at the Community Center. A short while later, they would begin their own Girl Scout Troop. Since beginning with the GSA, Tilton says that it isn’t just all about selling cookies.
Over the years with the troop, she said she has learned important life skills such as learning to take action, how to help others and be a leader. She has also devoted much of her time with the troop to improving her community in a number of different ways. As part of a Take Action Project with the GSA, Tilton, along with others, began a bake sale, netting the group enough money to purchase hundreds of “pocket ashtrays”. The pocket ashtrays as they are aptly titled are portable ashtrays made with the intention of reducing cigarette litter.
The anti-litter sentiment from Tilton still holds true today as her educational kiosks showcase the decomposition rates for types of litter commonly found in our parks and roads. Tilton, after seeing a significant amount of litter in town, joined a town cleanup two years ago and since then has been part of a local anti-litter task force. She hopes that with these kiosks people in town will think twice about the pollution they are causing and remember to recycle.
While earning the prestigious Gold Star award is a solo goal of Tilton’s, she will have a lot of support from the community. City Council Representative for the Conservation Commision, James Contois, has pledged to help Tilton construct the individual kiosks. A raffle will also be held at the upcoming spaghetti dinner fundraiser and will be sponsored by a number of local businesses including Tremont House of Pizza, Claremont Spice and Dry Goods, and Runnings among others.
A significant amount of effort goes into a senior Girl Scout achieving the Gold Star Award including a minimum of 80 hours of work. Tilton has also coordinated with the Parks and Recreation Department along with the Department of Public Works in Claremont in accordance with the stipulations of the award to set up the anti-litter kiosks. Anyone that is interested in helping Tilton’s cause of beautifying Claremont can attend the upcoming dinner fundraiser.
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