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Friends of felines turn out for fundraiser at Rodano’s in Wilkes-Barre

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Biden faces new scrutiny from Dems over behavior with women

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; You could say Noah Taylor, a 16-year-old Boy Scout working toward the rank of Eagle, inherited his giving spirit.</p><p>As a little kid, he&#8217;d tag along when his grandfather, Ronald Mika, delivered donations of food and clothing to Ruth&#8217;s Place, a shelter for women in Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>&#8220;He told me they might not have a family, or sometimes their husbands are mean to them,&#8221; Taylor said Saturday afternoon, recalling the simple explanation his grandfather offered as to why a woman might need shelter. &#8220;I knew I would hate it if something like that happened to my mom.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to do this for my Eagle Scout project,&#8221; he said as about a dozen of his fellow athletes from GAR High School and fellow Scouts from Troop 43, which is sponsored by St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre, helped carry paper products, slippers, socks, non-perishable food, bottled water and other donated items into Ruth&#8217;s Place.</p><p>&#8220;I always tell people we can use the same things you use in a typical week at your home,&#8221; said Crystal Kotlowski, director of Ruth&#8217;s Place, who showed the young men where to stock the items. &#8220;We need cleaning supplies because we do chores every night here.&#8221;</p><p>Taylor said he collected items at GAR after the principal gave permission for a drive. Pennsylvania American Water Co., where his father works, also made a generous donation.</p><p>The Scout has only a few more requirements to meet before he approaches the Eagle Scout Board of Review in Moosic, but his road hasn&#8217;t been easy. Diagnosed with severe dyslexia in fourth grade, Taylor transferred from St. Nicholas-St. Mary School in Wilkes-Barre to the DePaul School in Scranton, traveling two hours on a van each day to a place where he could learn techniques that use his muscles to train his memory process.</p><p>A device called a memory board and &#8220;repetition, repetition, repetition,&#8221; have helped, said Taylor, who graduated from eighth grade at the DePaul School and then enrolled at GAR, where he became a starter on the varsity football and baseball teams as a freshman. This fall, as a sophomore, he captained the football team.</p><p>He credits Scouting with honing his leadership skills. &#8220;You learn to keep your head even if things go wrong,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and to encourage other people to do their best.&#8221;</p><p>Fellow Scouts and fellow athletes said Saturday they were glad to follow his lead and help with his project.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been friends with Noah for 10 years,&#8221; said Mason Bagusky, 15.</p><p>&#8220;This means a lot to him,&#8221; said Owen Martin, 16, &#8220;and it will help him become an Eagle Scout.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I want to help and give back to the community,&#8221; said La&#8217;Jean Berry, 15.</p><p>Taylor, who said he would like to work as a counselor someday, is the son of Emily and Rod Taylor of Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>Before he can approach the Eagle Scout Board of Review, he still has to fulfill a camping merit badge requirement of camping at an elevation of 1,000 feet. He hopes to accomplish that soon at Ricketts Glen State Park.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Noah Taylor (right) hands a box to fellow Boy Scout Owen Martin 16 as Kyle Kurash a student at GAR unloads the truck full of personal items for the residents of Ruth&#8217;s Place in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout1_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Noah Taylor (right) hands a box to fellow Boy Scout Owen Martin 16 as Kyle Kurash a student at GAR unloads the truck full of personal items for the residents of Ruth&#8217;s Place in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout2_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"> Kyle Kurash, 17, dressed in his GAR baseball uniform moves boxes of personal items for the residents of Ruth&#8217;s Place as Noah Taylor stacks them to be carried into the building in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Friends from his Scout troop and fellow athletes from GAR High School helped Noah with his community service project. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout2_.jpg</photo1><caption1> Kyle Kurash, 17, dressed in his GAR baseball uniform moves boxes of personal items for the residents of Ruth&#8217;s Place as Noah Taylor stacks them to be carried into the building in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Friends from his Scout troop and fellow athletes from GAR High School helped Noah with his community service project. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout3_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Anthony Giovinazz0, 16, and a member of Boy Scout Troop 43, wheels a shopping cart full of personal items for residents of Ruth&#8217;s Place, helping Noah Taylor with his Eagle Scout project on Saturday in Wilkes-Barre </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout3_.jpg</photo2><caption2>Anthony Giovinazz0, 16, and a member of Boy Scout Troop 43, wheels a shopping cart full of personal items for residents of Ruth&#8217;s Place, helping Noah Taylor with his Eagle Scout project on Saturday in Wilkes-Barre </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout4_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crystal Kotlowski, director of Ruth&#8217;s Place, stacks up a few of the personal items Noah Taylor (center background) and members of his Boy Scout Troop 43 and friends from GAR delivered on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout4_.jpg</photo3><caption3>Crystal Kotlowski, director of Ruth&#8217;s Place, stacks up a few of the personal items Noah Taylor (center background) and members of his Boy Scout Troop 43 and friends from GAR delivered on Saturday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout5_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Noah Taylor, 16, a member of Boy Scout Troop 43 ,works on his Eagle Scout project as he unloads a truck full of personal items for the residents of Ruth&#8217;s Place Saturday in Wilkes-Barre </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_eagle.scout5_.jpg</photo4><caption4>Noah Taylor, 16, a member of Boy Scout Troop 43 ,works on his Eagle Scout project as he unloads a truck full of personal items for the residents of Ruth&#8217;s Place Saturday in Wilkes-Barre </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Eagle Scout candidate collects supplies for Ruth&#8217;s Place</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mary Therese Biebel</p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

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