Andy with Kiosk in 2012
A Letter from Andy Smetana:
I was a boy scout in Troop 616 based out of Scripps Ranch. Back in 2012, San Dieguito River Park needed a new trail kiosk built at the Dust Devil Nature Trail which had recently opened to the general public. This was exactly the type of project I was interested in taking on and I was excited to have the opportunity to build something that would help all those visiting the area. Thanks to generous donations from friends and family and the hard work from my fellow scouts over three weekends, I was able to complete the construction and installation of the kiosk in May 2012, just prior to the conclusion of my sophomore year at Cathedral Catholic High School. Then in July of the same year, I became an Eagle Scout.
Since then, I attended Appalachian State University in Boone, NC and earned a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. After college, I moved to Washington, DC and have been working as a government contractor for the Securities and Exchange Commission.
I still have family in the area and they occasionally send me pictures of the trail kiosk. After 11 years, it became evident that it could use some TLC. The structure itself is still solid; it just needed to be cleaned up with a fresh coat of paint. I already had a trip planned to San Diego so I reached out to the park and got their permission. After a couple hours of work, the kiosk looked good as new. I hope the kiosk continues to stand tall for years to come and benefit all visiting the park.
Coast to Crest Trail – Close the Gaps Project