Saratoga News


Bryan Francis	Justin Karren	Michael New Jr.

Three teens from Saratoga earn the Eagle Scout award

By Shari Kaplan

Three Saratoga residents--Bryan David Francis and Justin Glenn Karren, both 18, and 19-year-old Michael David New Jr.--received the highest honor bestowed by the Boy Scouts of America--the Eagle Award--in a July 28 Eagle Scout Court of Honor held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Saratoga, where the boys are active members.

Born in San Jose as the youngest of five children, Francis is a graduate of Blue Hills Elementary School, Miller Junior High and Lynbrook High School. Formerly a teller at Wells Fargo Bank, Francis is heading out of state to attend the University of Utah. He has been active in scouting since the age of 8.

The rose garden at the Saratoga Historical Museum was the beneficiary of Francis' Eagle project. This effort included removing old vegetation, conditioning and fertilizing the soil, planting several different rose varieties and installing wooden borders and a drip system. In his free time, Francis enjoys soccer, baseball and boogie-boarding.

Karren was born in Arizona but has lived most of his life in Saratoga with his parents and four younger siblings. A graduate of Country Lane Elementary School, Rogers Middle School and Prospect High School, Karren began his Scouting career at the age of 8.

For his Eagle project, Karren oversaw and worked on the building, construction and installation of park benches for Moreland Woods, a science field lab at Rogers Middle School. The job included buying redwood and cutting, routing, sanding, treating, staining and installing the benches. Karren enjoys playing basketball and ice hockey and is planning to go on a mission for his church.

A San Jose native, New is the oldest of five children and has been in Scouting since he was 8 years old. He is a graduate of Faria Elementary School, Miller Junior High and Lynbrook High School and just completed his freshman year at Brigham Young University in Utah.

New's Eagle project consisted of organizing and directing volunteers who installed a sprinkler system and landscaped a hill at Hakone Gardens in Saratoga. He was active in both planning and working on the job. New enjoys almost all sports, especially football, baseball and golf. This summer, he will begin a two-year mission in Argentina.

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