Eagle Scout Candidate Builds Grape Arbor in Community Garden

When it became apparent that the grape vines in the Alief Spark Park and Nature Center’s children’s garden were not flourishing, 17-year-old Joel Pointer came to the rescue.

The Eagle Scout candidate who will soon be a senior at Alief Taylor High School had an idea to get the vines off the ground.

“I had always wanted to do something in the garden,” said Pointer who was no stranger to the site, having visited it several times to assist his mother, Beverly Pointer, in the care and cultivation of the many flowers, vegetables and fruit trees growing there.

“The nature of this project is just to build a grape arbor so that grapes can grow on top of it and the people of the Alief community can have something when they plant in the garden,” he said. The need to transplant the 20 grape vines came to his attention and he decided to make the one-day project part of his community service to earn his Eagle Scout designation. A team of 15 volunteers were expected to help on Saturday, July 5.

Another Scout outing aboard a plane to earn a merit badge inspired Pointer to choose his college major. He is already looking at attending either Texas A&M University or Oklahoma State with aspirations to study aviation. In his spare time, he likes to sing, listen to music and play basic.

Barbra Quattro, President of the Alief Super Neighborhood said the District is looking at ways to improve drainage in the children’s garden, and added that more volunteers are always needed to help with weeding.