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Eagle scout in Castle Pines helps those who helped him

Castle Pines Eagle Scout Connor Newell designed and constructed eight raised vegetable garden beds as an Eagle Scout project for Highland Elementary School.

By Elizabeth Wood West (Photo provided by Newell family)

Fourteen is a pretty young age to be creating a legacy. However, Castle Pines resident and recent Eagle Scout Connor Newell did just that. For his Eagle Scout project, Newell planned, designed, and organized the construction of a fenced, eight-raised-bed vegetable garden for his former elementary school, Highland Elementary School, in Littleton.

Newell said, “I chose this project because Highland was in need of a garden and no one had really started it up, so I took the opportunity.”

Newell gathered his supplies and volunteers together, worked through uncooperative weather, and experienced the Boy Scout Motto “Always Be Prepared” first-hand.

“There was only one unexpected problem and that was the post pounder that was provided was too small to fit on the actual posts. We solved this very easily by running over to a rental shop and renting a bigger one,” said Newell. “I learned that you need to get the word out about your project in advance, so you can have more volunteers and have a solution for anything that goes wrong,” he concluded.

The vegetable gardens have been “adopted” by individual classes and have been incorporated into the teachers’ lessons for the children, including using the produce for lunches and making homemade salsa.

Newell started in scouting as a Bear Cub in Castle Pines Cub Scouts Pack 826, then crossing over into Boy Scout Troop 637 in Sedalia. Newell shares a rich Boy Scout family heritage in earning the rank of Eagle Scout. “I wanted to become an Eagle Scout because six of my uncles achieved the Eagle Scout rank. They told me about how cool it is and how much of an honor it is to achieve this rank,” explained Newell.

Earning his Aviation Merit Badge has been Newell’s favorite experience in scouting, which included the thrill of flying an experimental aircraft and landing it with the help of a pilot.

Newell is a freshman at Valor Christian High School and says he has aspirations to attend one of the United States Service Academies upon graduation. 

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