Peter Conley III, left, and Jacob Wozniak are pictured with Bemus Point Mayor Jeff Molnar near the village park. Two Eagle Scout projects have recently benefited the village.

BEMUS POINT — Two Eagle Scout projects are helping to beautify the village and honor local veterans.

Bemus Point officials are recognizing Peter Conley III and Jacob Wozniak for their efforts.

For his project, Wozniak helped create 20 double-sided banners featuring 39 veterans of the Bemus Point area. The banners have begun going up on Main Street.

“My project was designed to honor the veterans of Bemus Point because they had not gotten any recognition in the past,” said Wozniak, who has been involved with scouting since he was 5 years old. “I wanted to make sure that people remembered and honored them.”

Applications for local “Hometown Heroes” were sent out with the help of the Ellery Center VFW Post 557 and resulted in several dozen responses. Each veteran is recognized by name, the branch they served in and their years of service. Sponsors that helped fund each banner are also included.

The banners were printed by Falconer Printing.

Wozniak said the Boy Scouts have been an important part of his life.

“It encapsulates everything that I want to be, just being trustworthy and responsible. And it just shows your leadership skills,” he said. “It just shows that you’re willing to put in the hard work and effort.”

He hopes more veterans can be featured; funds have been given to the village to help pay for additional banners if more applications are received.

“There are a lot of people who need to be recognized,” he said. “It’s very important to honor the veterans that fight for our country.”

Wozniak is a 2023 graduate of Maple Grove High School. While in school, he played baseball and football while also spending time with Maple Grove Voices and in school musicals. He’s currently a freshman at Mercyhurst University studying cyber security.

Wozniak’s two older brothers are also Eagle Scouts. His twin sister has completed the Bronze and Silver awards for Girl Scouts.

Conley constructed pressure-treated flower boxes that were installed at different locations at Bemus Point Village Park and Lakeside Drive near Chautauqua Lake. Colorful flowers were then planted in the boxes.

Conley has been with Troop 177 ever since he started as a Cub Scout when he was 5 years old.

“I chose the flower boxes because I had been looking for a project,” said Conley, a Lakewood resident and currently a senior at Southwestern High School. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do and I came up here one day. There were old boxes there, but they were all beat up and run down. So I figured I would bring some life back to the village here and built those (and) put some nice flowers in them.”

In addition to scouting, Conley also is heavily involved in high school sports. He’s a member of Southwestern’s varsity wrestling, baseball and football teams, as well as an active member of Holy Apostles Church in Jamestown.

With the help of his troop, the flower boxes were constructed and eventually installed this past spring. He was further supported with his project by Chautauqua Brick and Culpeper Wood Preservers in memory of Bill Briggs, who was a longtime supporter of Boy Scouts of America.

Conley has learned a lot while working toward his Eagle Scout rank.

“I learned, so far, to never give up on something because it’s too difficult,” he said. “I went through a patch where some of my buddies quit. I thought about it, but I figured the end goal was worth it and it’s definitely taught me a lot. It’s helped me be a young adult.”

After high school, Conley said he’s interested in going to college with an eye toward the outdoors.

Bemus Point Mayor Jeff Molnar admired the results of both Eagle Scout projects and the work put in by Conley and Wozniak.

“The residents and all the people that live and spend time here in the village of Bemus Point thank you very, very much,” he said during a gathering of both families at the village park. “What an effort, both of you guys.

“Peter, you spent all this time to build these to beautify the spots that people love most. … Thank you for all your hard work. Jacob, I can’t tell you how much this means to a lot of us. My dad was a World War II veteran. We have to keep that going — keep remembering all these folks that gave their time and their lives so that we could be free. What an effort — thank you very, very much.”