POLAND – A 15-year-old Boy Scout from Poland hopes to build a new dugout for the town ball field. And he’s not a baseball guy.

Caleb Verrill went to the town late last year with the idea of building changing rooms at the town beach. After officials expressed worries over vandalism at the beach, Caleb scrapped the idea.

Recreation Director Scott Segal suggested a dugout.

“I tried to listen to their ideas,” said Caleb, who neither plays baseball nor follows a team.

He agreed, anyway, beginning the process of documenting each step of the project.

The finished dugout ought to give Caleb what he wants most – his Eagle Scout badge.

He has received the approval of Scout leaders for the project and has come up with a plan for the construction.

He has also raised money.

For the past several months, he has been collecting bottles at the town transfer station. The site has been a regular fundraising spot for local charities, Town Manager Dana Lee said.

“Caleb’s a nice guy and this is a nice community service,” Lee said.

After raising about $500, Caleb pulled the trailer from the transfer station in late April and began planning more fundraisers, including selling hot dogs at Poland’s Heritage Days celebration.

The freshman at St. Dominic Regional High School figures he needs about $300 more to move forward. Though he plans to use all-volunteer labor, the money will pay for materials and food for the volunteers, he said.

He hopes to complete the dugout before summer’s end.

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