Whittier Tech Carpentry and Masonry Students Build Dugouts for Junior Varsity Baseball Field

Students from Groveland, Haverhill, Ipswich, Merrimac, Newburyport and West Newbury Work on Project

HAVERHILL – It’ll soon be time to play ball, and to ensure the junior varsity baseball field is ready for first pitch, Whittier Tech carpentry and masonry students are busy building two new dugouts.

Students began surveying the area two months ago. They poured concrete foundations, mixed mortar and are building the block walls for the 10-foot by 30-foot area.

Carpentry teachers Earl Corr, Mike Sandlin and John Lavigne, and Masonry instructor Lee Gastonguay are overseeing 35 sophomores, juniors and seniors as they work on the project. Although they’ve been halted due to below freezing temperatures and continued snow fall, they’re still on track to complete the project by the start of the season in the spring.

“There is a sense of urgency to get this done before we’re in the depths of winter,” Corr said. “As it gets colder, we may have to build the wooden structures inside in pieces and then bring them out.”

In December, students at the site quickly shoveled sand delivered by a backhoe to backfill one dugout, while on the other side of the field, masonry students laid out brick to build walls.

This is the third set of dugouts students have built at Whittier Tech in recent years. Students previously constructed areas for varsity baseball and softball teams.

“It’s great to be able to spend the day working outside,” said senior Tom Benedetti, of Haverhill. “It’s satisfying to be able to start and finish a project that will be used by athletes and coaches for many years.”

Kyle McCoy, a junior from Newburyport who is working on the block foundation, said he has enjoyed crafting a building outside of the shop.

“It’s really different than being inside,” he said. “It’s very structured in there. We go from one project to the next, but when we’re out in the field we’re putting 100 percent into it because we know it’s not going to be taken down. It’s permanent.”

The project was made possible in part by a generous donation from Joset Corporation, a general contracting company in Ipswich, which supplied hardware and the use of their concrete pouring forms.

Students on the job are:

Carpentry juniors: George Shionis, Ethan Rousseau, Joe Cahill, Jordan Flete, Nathan Angus, Serena Muniz, Carlos Martinez, Angel Hernandez, all of Haverhill, Chase Germaine of Groveland, Julian Hallahan of Merrimac, and Tyler Stanton of Ipswich.

Seniors: Tom Benedetti, Manny Garcia, Jenna Keefe, Yurig Buttrick, Yuris Martinez and Desiree Michaud all of Haverhill, Garrett Girard of West Newbury, Mia Greco of Ipswich, and Julia Matos of Groveland.

Masonry sophomores: Matthew Nunez, Xavier Valdivieso, Edward Fernandez and Hector Valentin, all of Haverhill.

Juniors: Jonathan Caron, Michael Doucette, Shannon Loh, Lauren Powers, Riley Spring, Adam Correia, Shaylee Lavallee, Christopher McNulty and Griffen Rogers, all of Haverhill; Kayla MacNeill, of Salisbury, and Kyle McCoy, of Newburyport.

###