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 Soren
Aukamp’s father Bret said, “Soren has always enjoyed painting. His
original idea for an Eagle Project was to re-paint the murals at the
South Kickapoo Street underpass since they are in poor condition,
but due to the liability insurance and other requirements from the
railroad, the project would have been cost prohibitive.”
Soren said, “I chose the project after the project I
was originally planning to do fell through. I was originally
planning on repainting the underpass on west Kickapoo street. I was
not able to paint that, so I started looking for other things to
paint in town.”
Fortunately, Soren was already in contact with Walt
Landers, Lincoln City Street & Alley Superintendent. Bret said that
landers suggested a few other projects that would be similar to the
underpass murals.
When Soren saw the crude concrete blocks next to the outdoor dining
areas, he decided to try to make them look better.
As Bret said, the parking blocks will be used at various downtown
businesses with outdoor seating.
It was a somewhat time-consuming project. Soren said,
“the project took from the middle of my summer break to the
beginning of the school year. Most of this time was spent getting
the project approved by the city council, researching different
types of paints, primers and sealers, and working with Sherwin
Williams to get the supplies I would need.”
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The City of Lincoln purchased the blocks and all of
the supplies. Bret said, “Soren developed the ideas, coordinated the
labor, and carried out the project. He was able to do this mainly on
weekends during August and September. His aunt was instrumental in
creating the original designs, many of which highlight Lincoln’s
cultural history. Soren chose his favorites and sketched layouts for
each of the blocks.”
Soren said, “with the help of the scouts in my troop, we painted
seven blocks in total.”
All of the images on the blocks were inspired by
things around Lincoln. For example, Soren said these images include
the Mill, the Tropics sign and the covered wagon.
For a lot of the designs, Soren said “I have to credit to my aunt,
Anna-Marie Zurlinden, who is an artist. She was a big help with
designing and painting. Even though I was not able to go through
with my original project, I am still very proud of the outcome of
this one.
Service projects like the one Soren Aukamp did are a requirement for
any youth to earn their Eagle Scout rank. These projects are
intended to benefit the community and require a significant effort
to complete. Eagle Projects allow Scouts to demonstrate the
leadership skills they have developed and also make a positive
impact.
Not only do Soren’s painted blocks make a positive impact by
providing visual appeal, but they also share a bit of Lincoln’s
history.
[Angela Reiners]
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