Fallon boy earns Eagle Scout rank

Matthew Melancon has been inspired by the Boy Scout program ever since the traditional bridging ceremony promoted him from Cub Scout.

Unfortunately, between COVID restrictions and the usual hectic school schedule, he lost a lot of time in regard to his scouting badges. He had also felt disconnected with the direction the Fallon troop was headed and, reluctantly, he let it go.

With about a year left before he turned 18, he realized reaching the Eagle rank was still very important to him. Melancon was invited to continue with Fernley Troop 494 and he thought he would give it a try, saying, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

The troop saved his scouting career, especially during the last few weeks.

“He went from Tenderfoot Scout to a Life Scout in 10 months,” Matthew’s father, Joseph Melancon, said. “It was really neat. He just went to work. It was hard, he had a lot of obstacles to overcome.”

With the clock ticking, Melancon wasn’t sure what to do for his Eagle rank project. The Charter Organization Representative for Boy Scout Troop 1776, Steve Endacott, encouraged him to check with the museum. He settled on updating the landscaping after a discussion with Museum Director Mel Glover.

Since its creation about 15 years ago, the Deseree Michelle Walker Memorial Children’s Pioneer Garden had deteriorated to mostly weeds.

Manuel Gonzalez of Desert Greens Landscaping donated his time, expertise and the necessary tools to the project. Over several Saturdays in September, the team cleared the area and added new native plants purchased with funds donated by the museum and the city of Fallon. They also pruned the trees and updated the irrigation system.