Way to Go! Port Jefferson student creates memorial patio

A Port Jefferson student was recently celebrated for his efforts memorializing those who died while living at a nearby faith-based facility for those in crisis or struggling with substance abuse.

Peter Rizzo, a senior at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School, spearheaded the design and construction of a memorial patio at Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson. The patio, which is 27 by 17 feet, includes 53 bricks that are engraved with the names of those who have died.

Rizzo, 17, created the patio as part of a project for his Eagle Scout Award, the highest achievement available in the Boy Scouts of America. He was honored for his efforts last month by Troop 70 in Setauket, of which he is a member.

"I always wanted to do my Eagle Scout project for them, because I think their program is great," Rizzo said of Hope House Ministries, a nonprofit. Of the patio's importance, he said: "It was very symbolic for the current guys that go there."

The materials used — ranging from recycled concrete aggregate to natural stone — were donated by a family friend, and family, fellow troop members and ministry residents assisted in the construction, Rizzo said. The project also included the refurbishing of a bench and two retaining walls.

Rizzo is also a member of his school's varsity golf team and National Honor Society; he is also a probationary firefighter with the Port Jefferson Fire Department.

— MICHAEL R. EBERT 

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.