ARLINGTON — Parker Yancey, a 15-year-old Lakewood High School student, loves to read at and visit the Arlington Library.

He’s visited it so often that, in the midst of planning out his Eagle Scout project for the Boy Scouts of America, he noticed that the grounds of the library were in need of some attention.

With help from his parents, Steve and Tanya Yancey of the Seven Lakes area of Stanwood, Parker contacted the city of Arlington and was given the thumbs-up to take on a landscaping project on the library’s behalf.

Initially, Parker put in 35 hours of work to plan, carry out and report on the project. On Oct. 8, he was joined by 30 generous volunteers, who helped him weed the grounds and lay a weed barrier, as well as plant 25 bushes and spread 10 yards of new cedar bark.

With the addition of volunteer hours, a total of 135 hours were spent on the project.

The Yancey family expressed their gratitude for the donations this project received from individuals as well as local and regional businesses, including Lowe’s, Nobach Trucking, Winter Trucking and Western Plant Nursery. Parker’s parents are likewise thrilled with their son’s success.

“When Parker learned that his father was an Eagle Scout, he was inspired by his father’s example and wanted to be one also,” Tanya Yancey said. “Through the project, Parker learned leadership skills and how to have confidence to ask strangers for information and donations.”

Parker expressed the hope that the community and patrons of the library will appreciate how nice and clean the grounds look now. The Yancey family anticipates that library-goers will especially love the spring blossoms of the hundreds of flower bulbs that Parker’s group planted.