By Doug Berg and Randy Nelson
Second Semester is well underway and Mini-School is busy with its Trips Program. It has been a good winter with abundant snow and Mini-Schoolers have taken advantage of it. Justin Streeter, Joe Molland, Austin Manship, Chris Wegler, Maya Diedrich and Joanne accompanied me (Doug) on a Winter Activities trip, the first ever to my new cabin on the Yellow River near Spooner, Wisconsin in early February. Quinzhee building, snowshoe hikes, and cross-country ski outings highlighted the trip. Austin, to his surprise, turned out to be the best skier. He also took the most spectacular falls.
Immediately following the Winter Activities Trip, Randy took off for the lronwood/Bessemer area of the upper peninsula of Michigan for Mini-School’s annual downhill ski trip. Scott Bakkelund, David Larson-Hughes, Alan Jampsa, Gabe Peterson, Dan Voaklander, Andy Miller, Geoff Boller, Ryan Boyum, and Matt Evans were the student participants. Besides visiting the four ski hills in the Ironwood area, the group did cultural studies of the local towns and learned much about the geography, weather, topography and history there. The group felt it was a great place to visit but they would not want to live there.
In early March Casey Bakken, Mike Phelps, Mike Ennis, Kim Colway, Eric Thomas, Tony “Hondo” Cruikshank and I (Doug) headed for the BWCA for a week-long winter camping trip. On the winter activities trip we kind of play with quinzhee building, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. On the winter camping trip mastery of these skills is essential to the comfort and survival of the participants. Even though the trippers were confronted with sub-zero temperatures and deep, soft snow, they all did very well and accomplished all their objectives.
All of these trips will be written up more extensively elsewhere in this issue of Com-Mini-Cations.
I (Doug), participated, as usual in a number of ski races this winter, most notably the Mora Vasaloppet and the American Birkebeiner in Hayward/Cable, Wisconsin. I wasn’t any faster this year, but I wasn’t any slower either. It’s been a great winter for all winter sports. I can think of very few days since December 1st when I haven’t been out skiing for at least an hour or two.
Pauline and Ramona are anxious for spring to arrive when they can forego the winter bundling up of their small children, Alexandra and Zachary, respectively… Joanne has been busy digging out her drifted-in driveway much of the winter, but she breaks free periodically to take Tai kwon do classes… Randy is still holding his own in basketball (he claims the kids keep getting quicker each year) and plays indoor soccer on Sundays… Doug and Randy alternate taking trips while the one at home listens to Ramona, Pauline, and Joanne talk about babies and dogs.
As we move into 4th quarter big things are happening. In mid-April I (Doug) will leave with 9 students for an 18 day trip to Canyonlands and Mesa Verde National Parks. The highlight of the trip will be an 8 day canoe trip down the Green River through Canyonlands. Immediately following this trip Randy will take 9 students to the Black Hills for a mountain biking and hiking experience. I will follow with a BWCA canoe trip with 8 kids and Randy will end the year with a Southern Minnesota bike trip. Pauline and Ramona have had some discussion about a Whitewater Rafting Trip on the St. Louis River in Carlton County sandwiched in between or running concurrently with the other trips. Right after the school year ends Randy and I will lead 28 students on 2 summer school canoe trips down the Namekagon and St. Croix Rivers. Whew!
Blocks also have been going well. Randy has run a block on World War II and Careers, Ramona has run a basic math block and assisted me with a block on Com-Mini-Cations, and, perhaps most exciting, Pauline has been leading a block on “The Art of Teaching”. Every student in her block has some expertise. Scott Bakkelund has instructed the class in football training, Phil Lynott in ice fishing, Carrie Tiggas (with Lynott’s help) in dance, Kristi Dahl in diabetes management, Coilin Davis in Guitar improvisation, Dan Sauer in drum playing, Geoff Boller in nuclear holocaust survival, and Maya Diedrich taught everyone how to make a vegan pie. The video tapes of some of these demonstrations have been quite entertaining.
I’d (Doug) like to give a special commendation to Molly Latterner, Lacey Landt, and Lance Hamlin. Because of trips and the timing of this issue, I haven’t been able to be as involved in Com-Mini-Cations as I usually am. These kids have really taken ownership of this edition and have exercised and developed reportorial, editorial, and artistic skills. I’m really proud of them.
All the rest of Mini-School is going well. Kids are holding down jobs, going to Vo-Tech, and going to mainstream classes. We’ve had some crises, problems, turmoils, but that’s to be expected. We learn and grow from them. Year 27 of Mini is great.
Alumni News:
Chris O’Dell (Ody-1990) is working in Alaska as a mason and doing great. I got a letter from him in early March. He’s a mason in Anchorage, building fireplaces and steps. He had a moose in his front yard the day he wrote the letter.
Dan Deikel (’87?) Has his own CD company and has another job in the technology field. Stopped by school in mid-March to visit. Doing great. Lives in Minneapolis.
Jeff Kinzer (’80?) Has become a serious student of survival and Native American skills. Jeff’s taken a course from a nationally known expert in the field, Tom Brown, and is hoping to meet Mark Warren this fall.
Heath Holste (’90?) Heath services and maintains the Clay Cliffe grounds and buildings and has courageously worked with Matt Evans (10) all year and has Matt doing fantastic work.
Sarah Iversen (’95) Works as a manager for “Home Neat Home” housecleaning service and is hiring Mini-School students to work for her ($9.00/hour starting!)
Jim Conklin (’73) “Aardvark” is finishing off computer college courses and is maintaining an “A” average. Once the snows melt, he’ll return to drag-racing his Harley and tinkering with his ’47 Harley.
Scott Hedtke (’96) Is in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Japan. In a letter we received in January he mentioned that he was going to Guam and hoped to meet up with Al Wright (also in the Navy) there.
Casey Wright and Dawn Hesselgrave (Punkin’ and Sweetie ’96) Returned last month from Florida and are once again residents of the northland. They said Florida wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.