Sanderson earns Eagle Scout
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An Eagle Scout Court of Honor was held last weekend for Scotts Valley resident Bennett Michael Sanderson of Boy Scout Troop 604. The ceremony will was held June 15 at the Congregational Church of Soquel.
Sanderson has scouted for eight years, starting as a Webelo with Scotts Valley Pack 608 and attended Wolfeboro Scout Camp in the Sierra, Camp Cherry Valley on Catalina Island, and Camp Pico Blanco in Monterey County. In 2011, Sanderson, along with Troops 604 and 633, took a trip to Alaska and backpacked the Chilkoot Trail from Skagway to the town of Bennett, Canada.
Sanderson completed his Eagle Project on May 21, where he and his crew went to the Salvation Army Redwood Camp outside of Scotts Valley and expanded a fenced organic garden for underprivileged campers.
Sanderson, who has a passion for geocaching, graduated from Scotts Valley High School this month with a full International Baccalaureate. He plans to study Structural Engineering in the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California, San Diego.
Sanderson enjoys to sing, play ukulele, guitar and piano and placed third in the Scotts Valley High talent show in March. He was also a four-year member of the varsity tennis team as well as participating in many clubs and tutoring at Vine Hill and Brook Knoll elementary schools.
Scout completes Eagle Project
Lompico 17-year-old Ben Caldwell completed a cement staircase June 10 at Lompico Community Center Park as part of his Eagle Scout Project for Boy Scout Troop 633.
Caldwell, who will be a senior at San Lorenzo Valley High School this fall, spent 467 man hours on the project. Caldwell said the staircase, which was part concrete and part wood, had burned down several times leaving a dangerous gap between the road and the park down below. He constructed the new staircase with concrete, rebar, steel pipe, deck plating and wooden beams. The concrete was donated by Granite Construction and other materials by Don Chapin Construction.
Scott Caldwell, Chris Fulmer, Ryan Hiekens, Sean and Christopher Dashiell all contributed labor to the project.
“I was surprised I was able to do something like that, and I am happy to do something for the community,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell, who is aiming for his Eagle Scout after he graduates next year, said he’s been a scout essentially since he was a child because he father, Scott, has been Scoutmaster since the 1980s.
