March 16, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Local Boy Scout Leads Effort to Fix Termite-Infested Trail Handrail

Ari Candela leads community service effort on a Beverly Hills hiking path

By Keemia Zhang

Last month, Ari Candela, patrol leader of Boy Scout Troop 223, led a community service effort, dubbed a “good turn” trip as part of a Scouts program designed to encourage patrols to give back to their community. For the project, Candela chose Tree People, an environmental advocacy group that encourages the preservation of ecosystems across the Los Angeles area. 

He previously visited the organization several years prior, where he was given a seed that grew into a pine tree in his backyard. Inspired by this and his love of nature, Candela led his Palisades-based troop to fix a termite-infested handrail on a Beverly Hills hiking path, permitting visitors to enjoy the space. I spoke with Candela to hear about his work with the Scouts and community service.

Keemia Zhang: So Ari, tell me about how you became a Boy Scout.

Ari Candel: So originally my friends wanted me to become a Boy Scout and then – like so basically, before you actually join Scouts, you can go on like a campout to experience and see what you’re getting yourself into, and I enjoyed the campout so I just decided to commit.

KZ: That’s really cool. Do you have anything you enjoyed most about it?

AC: Just being able to meet a lot of people from different schools and just having different camping experience. And one thing specifically was for this past year for high-venture – basically when the older scouts go on like a trip, half of the trip went to Denmark for the Scout Jamboree.

KZ: Awesome. So for your good turn trip, do you wanna tell me more about why you chose the environment for your topic?

AC: I enjoy just being in nature, I go hiking with my parents a lot and we always enjoyed that, so it’s like trying to get back to that and give back to Mother Nature.

KZ: For your actual good turn trip, can you tell me about what you saw and did that day?

AC: We saw a lot of people hiking but basically there was this handrail that another Scout troop had made during an Eagle project. There was bark on the handrail, and termites were biting and destroying it so we removed the bark to get rid of the termites.

KZ: Did you have a favorite and least favorite part of the day?

AC: Least favorite is that it was a bit hot, favorite is just to give back to my community and do community service. My memory is just being able to help other people because now the handrail will be able to stay up for a longer amount of time and other people will just keep it in good shape.

KZ: Do you plan on doing more things like this when you’re an Eagle Scout?

AC: When I’m an Eagle Scout I will have to do a project where I create something for a nonprofit organization and it’s mandatory to get a specific amount of hours working on it.

KZ: And how does giving back to your community make you feel?

AC: It makes me feel happy because it’s just nice to give back to your community whenever you can, and there are lots of nice people who do nice things for each other.

<>Related Posts

Your Guide to Free Museum Weekend: 30 SoCal Museums Waiving Admission Fees

March 14, 2025

March 14, 2025

Explore Art, History, and Culture for Free as Museums Across LA Open Their Doors Art and history lovers in Southern...

Mayor Bass’ Text Messages Deleted Amid Pacific Palisades Fire Response Scrutiny

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

Public Records Requests Reveal That Mayor Bass’ Phone Auto-Deletes Messages On January 7, as powerful winds and dry conditions fueled...

Venice Art Crawl Opens Registration for March 20 Event

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

Organizers encourage artists of all disciplines to sign up before the deadline Registration is now open for the upcoming Venice...

Sen. Ben Allen to be Honored at ‘Stairway of the Stars’ Concert in Santa Monica

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

The concert, now in its 74th year, features nearly 900 students from elementary, middle, and high schools across the SMMUSD...

Palisades High School Band to Perform at Hollywood Bowl to Honor First Responders

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

Titled WE ❤️ LA, the event will feature a program spanning classical, jazz, and iconic film scores The Palisades Charter...

Santa Monica College President Honored as 2025 Woman of the Year for Assembly District 51

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

Her tenure has focused on expanding access to education for underrepresented communities Santa Monica College Superintendent and President Dr. Kathryn...

Film Review: Mickey 17

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

MICKEY 17Rated R137 MinutesReleased March 7th Mickey 17 plays like a journey, a momentous journey, to another planet.  It’s 2054,...

Baltaire Celebrates 10 Years with a ‘Decade of Decadence’ Anniversary Bash On Saturday

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

Brentwood’s Iconic Steakhouse Marked a Milestone With an Unforgettable Night of Fine Dining Last Saturday night was the official party...

Three Charged in FEMA Fraud Scheme Following California Wildfires

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

Fraud related to disaster benefits carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison Three individuals, including two from...

(Video) Baltaire’s Amazing 10th Anniversary Party

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

The Greek Salad prepared table side. Bluefin Toro with Crispy Rice, wasabi, spicy mayo, pickled ginger. Chateaubriand, 16 oz, with...

(Video) See Inside the New Google Store in Santa Monica

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

The Shop Marks the Second Physical Retail Space on the West Coast For the Tech Giant The Shop Marks the...

(Video) Wildfire Attorney. Law Offices of Allen Farshi

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

How The Law Offices of Allen Farshi Can Safeguard You Amid Wildfire Loss. For more information, check out the video...

(Video) H&H Bagels Now Open in Santa Monica

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

The New York Bagel Spot finally arrived at 710 Montana to crowds and long lines. Here’s that bagel sandwich goodness....

The Ultimate Guide to St. Patrick’s Day 2025 in West Los Angeles, Where to Eat, Drink & Party

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

From Irish-Inspired Brunches to Green Beer Towers & Drag Bingo, We’ve Got You Covered Los Angeles is going all out...

Michelin Unveils Newest Additions to Its California Guide, Seven Los Angeles Restaurants Recognized

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

Exciting New Dining Destinations Join the Michelin Selection in Los Angeles, Culver City, Santa Monica ​The Michelin Guide has recently...