Blydenburgh County Park footbridge honors late scout leader

An East Northport teen recently spearheaded the construction of a 50-foot-long bridge at a local park and dedicated the completed project to a late leader from his Boy Scout troop.

Jake Shabronsky, 18, built the pedestrian bridge to replace a dilapidated span at Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown, where he said he has enjoyed many troop campouts and family hikes over the years. The wooden bridge, which he finished in the summer, was dedicated in memory of his troop’s former committee chairman, Michael Chacon, who died in 2022, he said.

Shabronsky pursued the project as part of his Eagle Scout badge. He is a member of Troop 125 in Commack.

“The original bridge was maybe one foot wide and on the ends were very wobbly pieces of wood,” said Shabronsky, a freshman at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. “It’s just something you don’t want to see when people are just trying to go enjoy a hike or spend some time outside.”

To carry out the project, Shabronsky obtained a wetland permit as the bridge extends over a creek within the 627-acre park, he said. He then organized two “build days” at his family’s home in which fellow troop members helped to assemble pieces of the bridge as well as four additional days installing the new span at the park and removing the old one.

Shabronsky also coordinated a car wash fundraiser that netted about $850 and collected about $1,000 from family and friends through the Venmo app. In addition, he received a discount on materials from Riverhead Building Supply in Northport, while Home Depot and Lowes in Commack donated supplies, he said.

The finished bridge was officially dedicated in September to Chacon, who Shabronsky said had a “big impact” on him.

“In my second or third year, I didn’t know if I wanted to do scouts anymore,” said Shabronsky, who noted that Chacon responded by inviting him to help cook at an upcoming cookout. “That made me feel like I had a purpose in coming instead of just going and being in the troop. Being asked to come and help was very inspirational.”

Alan Isaac, the troop’s charter organization representative, praised Shabronsky for his “dedication and strength of character” as well as Chacon for being an “extraordinary leader who left a lasting impression upon all members” of Troop 125.

“Mr. Chacon inspired a young scout to reach beyond his grasp,” Isaac said. “It is wholly proper that this memorial stands as a symbol of honor, leadership, and personal integrity.”

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.