Knievel Earns Eagle Scout Rank After Completing Park Project

Connor Knievel of Neligh has earned Boy Scouts' highest honor - the rank of Eagle Scout.

Knievel received the designation on June 12 after appearing before Mid-America Council’s Diamond Dick Eagle Committee in Norfolk. During the interview process, he was accompanied by Mike Wright, Neligh Boy Scout leader for Troop #167. 

Knievel said it took nearly two years to complete his service project, which was one of the final steps in becoming an Eagle Scout. For his project, he organized and led a team of volunteers to repaint, repair and replace playground equipment in Neligh's Riverside Park.

Check out the "before" and "after" pictures here.

Knievel spent 12 hours on the planning stage alone. He invested 85 hours in the project himself, and received an additional 257 hours of help from others, bringing the total number of hours to 342.

Work on his project began in June of 2012 when City of Neligh employees detached the rocket ship and stagecoach playground equipment for sandblasting and priming. Knievel and several friends and family members painted them before city employees installed them again.

He and his helpers power washed, scraped and painted more playground equipment - a squirrel, car, two swinging benches, big slide, spiral slide, baby swing set, pony swing set, big swing set, monkey bars and teeter totters.

In the spring of 2013, Knievel requested price quotes from five playground companies and proposed purchasing some new playground equipment at a city council meeting. The purchase of the "tree climbers," "comet," "digger" and "tether ball" were approved. The new equipment was later assembled and installed. City crews helped with the installation and Rutjens Construction donated the necessary cement to secure them.

Many other donations were received as well, including paint and monetary donations. The total cost of the materials was more than $5,900.

Knievel will be a senior at Neligh-Oakdale High School this fall and is the son of Bill Knievel and Linda Miller-Thompson.

He would like to thank all those who made his Eagle project possible by volunteering their time and talents: Dallas Reuss, Jordan Chelle, Martin Beyer, Zach Wright, Jared Kennedy, Noah Knievel, Don Thompson, Rocky Thompson, Rick Eickholt, Terry Sehi, Cliff Tillema, Mrs. Koch, Lyle Juracek, Rachel Shrader, Dean Bly, other City of Neligh employees, Rutjens Construction, Kavledge Foundation, Paul Seger Foundation, Joan Miller, Bomgaars, Neligh Carhart, Merry Maids & Muscles, Red Hat Design and especially Mike and Amy Wright!