Working in his open-air studio on County Road 16 near Jenkins, Steven Weagel gets frequent friendly honks from friends who drive by.

Steven blows glass in the back of a converted truck, complete with propane-fired heaters and all the tools necessary, most made by Steven himself. The truck opens up both in the back, where stairs ascend to the furnaces, and on the side, for demonstrations.

In one furnace are long blowpipes, sitting hot over roaring flames, and another oven holds both a pit of molten glass and a piping hot hole for keeping the liquid glass hot and workable.

Ken and Laurie Baalson, of Emily, have embarked on 15 mission trips since 1995 to provide eye care to those in need.

“Some people, you can give them a new life,” Ken said of his work on the trips. He’s a member of the Emily-Outing Lions Club and both he and Laurie are members of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH). Ken is an optician at Pequot Eye Center and Crosslake Eye Center.

Eagle Scout stats

• In 2011, 51,473 scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

• Around 5 percent of all Boy Scouts earned the Eagle Scout rank in 2011.

• In 2011, the average age of boys earning the Eagle Scout rank was 17.

• From 1912 to 2011, more than 2 million Boy Scouts earned the Eagle Scout rank.

(Source: www.scouting.org)

Damon Billington might seem like just another 16 year old. He’s fond of science and he loves traveling. You wouldn’t guess it by looking at him, but he is the owner of a business that sells all over the nation, and even to some shores beyond our own.

Damon lives with his parents, Bruce and Jen, in Crosslake. They came to the area while Damon was still in first grade. They originally lived in Rochester, where Damon attended Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. Damon’s dad moved them from Rochester to work with Hunt Technologies.