When it came time to decide what Nikki Beittenmiller wanted to do for her Girl Scouts gold award project, she knew she wanted to do something for the city library.
Beittenmiller, a 16-year-old Bellaire High School student, has been involved with the Girl Scouts since kindergarten. Now going into her senior year, she’s been planning her gold award project, the highest award for Girl Scouts.
Beittenmiller had the idea to renovate the Bellaire Library return box, but needed to figure out an aspect of the project that could count for leadership. So, she started the Bellaire Youth Arts Initiative, a group designed to take on community projects in an effort to beautify Bellaire.
Beittenmiller said she hopes the Bellaire Youth Initiative will become a sustainable group and will take on more community projects once the drop box is complete.
Beittenmiller, along with about 12 to 15 volunteers, have been working on renovating the library book drop box at 5111 Jessamine St.
Beittenmiller coordinated with Library Director Mary Alford Cohrs and Kathy Biddle of the Bellaire Cultural Arts Commission to get a vision for the project. Friends of Bellaire donated the funds for the project.
She started sanding down the drop box on Tuesday with the help of other volunteers. They started sanding it by hand, but found that power tools were the most effective.
When they were done sanding, they put the primer on and just finished putting on the base coat. Next, they will stencil on houses, trees, kites and birds, moons and stars and insects all over the box.
The box will read: Bellaire City Library, Donated by Friends of Bellaire.
Beittenmiller hopes to have the drop box completed on Saturday.
“It’s been a big part of my summer,” she said. “It’s been enjoyable; very enjoyable.”
Library Director Mary Alford Cohrs said when the new drop box is finished it will be a little piece of art.
“I think the community will benefit from it,” Cohrs said. “It will be fun … a reflection of Bellaire.”
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