Eagle Scout’s project beautifies cemetery, honors grandfather

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​Another Eagle story picked up by Google News.

 

PORT CLINTON – A Port Clinton Eagle Scout’s final project beautified a local cemetery while also honoring his grandfathers and their military service. Adam Wells, a junior at Port Clinton High School and a member of Pack 360, landscaped a war memorial at LaCarpe Cemetery in Erie Township.

 

The project idea emerged after Wells made a simple request to the cemetery to move an unsightly garbage can.

 

“My grandfather, Ruben C. Castillo Sr., is at the cemetery. There was a trash can close to his gravestone, and I wanted to move it,†Wells said. “I proposed that to the township, and the next time I went, it was already gone.â€Â

 

That simple improvement gave Wells the idea to do make improvements at the cemetery.

 

“I noticed there was no landscaping around the war memorial, and there was grass all around it,†he said. “I thought I could make that look better.â€Â

 

Both Castillo and Well’s other grandfather, Robert R. Wells, were in the Army. Castillo was a Korean War Veteran, and Robert Wells was a World War II veteran.

Wells added five stones to the memorial, each engraved with a branch of the military. He painted the signposts; painted and replaced hardware on the trash cans and mounted a solar light to the flagpole.

 

Wells oversaw 202 hours of labor needed to complete the project and raised money for the cost through a classic car show at the Erie Township Fire Department.

“I love classic, old cars. I worked at Jolly Roger two summers to earn the money to buy a 1971 Monte Carlo,†he said. “I hosted a car show as a fundraiser. That was really cool to me, having all those people that love old cars come out to donate to my Eagle Scout project.â€Â

 

Wells started scouting when he was in first grade, and he is still active with his troop, serving as Senior Patrol Leader.

 

“In scouting, you are a Boy Scout until you turn 18,†he said. “I’m senior patrol leader. I’m in charge and lead meetings.â€Â

 

Wells has enjoyed his years with Boy Scouts, particularly the camping. “Definitely the camping  camping has always been my favorite part, especially around here, because it’s so beautiful here in the summer,†he said.

 

Wells has had the opportunity to travel to other states with Scouts. One of the most memorable trips was to Ely, Minnesota, for seven days of camping and canoeing.

“It was just like in a postcard. That’s what I love about it  it’s so beautiful,†he said.

 

Scouting has provided Wells with lifelong skills. “I think mostly, it has helped with my ability to work with other people, and it has helped my communication skills,†he said. “And it’s helped my leadership skills, which is what Scouts is all about. You learn things you can’t learn in a classroom.â€Â

 

Wells earned 37 merit badges and is a member of the Scout’s Order of the Arrow. He was honored with the Catholic Religious Award Ad Alture Dei. He is the son of Anthony and Andrea Wells.

In addition to scouting, Wells is president of the junior class at Port Clinton High School; treasurer of Leadership Council; member of National Honor Society; a freshman mentor; a member of DECA; a member of International Club; a trumpet player in marching band and wind ensemble; and an altar server at Immaculate Conception Church.

 

“He’s been one of our leaders in the troop. He does very well,†said Well’s Scoutmaster, Jeff Kennedy. “It’s been fun to see, over the last year and a half since I took over, how he’s grown. He likes to help the other scouts. I rely on him a lot.â€Â

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Great project and good article (except for that "Pack" thing.) One of my other hobbies is genealogy and documenting graves on http://www.findagrave.com. I've often thought that scouts who clean up cemeteries could also add to the database by documenting and photographing the graves if they haven't been already.