LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Eagle Scout project updates Lafayette Rim Trail signs


Campolindo senior Alex Mangoba (left) is assisted by fellow Boy Scout Andy Babson in installing a new sign along the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail. Photo Linda Murphy

Residents who hike the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail likely have noticed the hard work of Alex Mangoba of Moraga Boy Scout Troop 234. The East Bay Municipal Utility District, which manages the trail, has numerous Backcountry Regulations signs posted along the 4.7-mile hilly, unpaved terrain. But years of weathering had taken a toll on the signs. EBMUD needed new, sturdier signs, and Mangoba stepped up to help as part of his Eagle Scout project.

It was an ambitious project to replace 10 signs, Mangoba collected large amounts of material, hardware, plywood sheets, and heavy poles. Several steps were involved in creating the signs: measuring and cutting the wood and poles to the proper shape and size, affixing the metal signs to the wooden backings, and attaching the signs to the poles. Mangoba weather-proofed all the wood he used to ensure it will withstand many years of exposure.

After constructing the signs over the summer, Mangoba "planted" the signs over two weekends. This phase of the project involved digging holes, mixing cement, and positioning the signs. EMBUD provided a truck to drive him and the signs from site to site, and Mangoba's father and fellow Scouts helped him set the signs in place. Mangoba never cut corners, and his hard work is evident in the sturdy new signs that now dot the trail.

Mangoba has been a member of Troop 234 since fifth grade. Now a Campolindo senior, he is proud of his hard work in completing his time-consuming and physically demanding Eagle Scout project.