Milton Teenager Gives Crabapple Community Center a New Look

While most teenagers were enjoying their Saturday at the pool or mall, Nate Vernon,17, was at the Crabapple Community Center with paintbrush in hand ready to give the old building a new look.

As a Boy Scout Vernon is working to obtain his Eagle badge, the highest rank attainable in the program. He must complete a large community service project to do so. He was contacted by the Crabapple Community Association to take on the community center and readily agreed.

“ I’m always an advocate for freshening up the way that people see our city,” said Nate.

Amanda Quintona was nearby at the Milton Market overseeing her daughter’s lemonade stand and decided to help out. She looks forward to seeing what becomes of the now vacant building.

“It would be nice to see a welcome center here,” said Quintona.

Tommy Armistead of Armistead and Son Inc. was happy to donate the needed paint and several fellow troop members also volunteered their time in an effort to update the building.

Scoutmaster Karl Heideck was on hand to help out, along with his son, Karl III.

“We’ve known Nate for over 10 years, since he was a Tiger Cub,” said Keideck.

Sally Rich-Kalb was more than happy to spend her day helping out Nate and his fellow troops.

“I own property in the area and am a member of the Crabapple Community Association so I’m more than happy to be helping out the boy scouts,” said Rich-Kalb.

With plans to add landscaping such as planter boxes and shrubs, the full project will not be complete for about another month.

Nate’s father, Jim Vernon, is very proud of his son and the project he’s decided to undertake.

“We’re very happy to be renovating a building that the Boy Scout troop has had a long affiliation with and helping my son finish a goal,” said Jim.

Nate will be back at work July 8-9 putting some finishing touches on the building if you’d like to stop by and say hello.