Baseball fields in three Northeast Metro Tech communities will soon boast brand new dugouts, once the work of juniors and seniors in Northeast’s carpentry program is done.
Last summer, Reading Little League President Mike Wondolowski reached out to Northeast’s Department Head of Carpentry, Richard McGuiness, to inquire about students’ availability to construct new dugouts for the town’s little league program.
Wondolowski reached out after seeing the strong work Northeast students did to construct two dugouts at North Reading High School, which students completed between November 2020 and March 2021, and hoped for similar results in Reading. Work on two dugouts at Hunt Field in Reading is ongoing, and students will build another two dugouts at a field elsewhere in town.
The construction on Reading’s dugouts is happening at the same time as work to build similar facilities at Northeast’s own baseball field.
“These projects are a combination of two of my passions — carpentry and baseball — and it’s so gratifying to see our students’ work not only have an impact on our sending communities, but also right here on campus,” Northeast’s varsity baseball coach and carpentry instructor Bob Calla said. “I’ve long hoped to see dugouts for our baseball team, and I’m so glad to see them becoming a reality thanks to our students’ hard work.”
Once work on Reading’s dugouts is complete, students will move on to building two dugouts at Revere High School through a partnership with Revere’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“Our carpentry students have developed a reputation for themselves, and there’s clearly now a demand for their work in this area,” Superintendent David DiBarri said. “I’m so proud of all of the students who have contributed to making a tangible impact on the baseball programs at Northeast and in the communities Northeast serves.”
The dugouts are the result of efforts by 41 Northeast students representing the communities of Revere, Chelsea, Wakefield, Woburn, Malden, Melrose, Saugus and Stoneham.
