By Doug Berg
Mini-School is struggling through this wimpy El Nino winter the best we can. In early January Joe Juranitch and I and 8 of the top calendar salespeople took a nice trip to Two Harbors and Ely. It really wasn’t planned as a winter activities trip, but a nice snowfall, the first significant one of the winter, added a wintry touch to it. Once we got some snow here I’ve had some nice Friday morning snowshoe outings at Minnewashta Regional Park with the likes of Mike Phelps, Jon Fairbourne, Tanya Schierman, Charlie Urbia, Matt Thompson, Trevor Scott, Laura Huberty, Kristina Petron, and Casey Bakken. Matt and Jon are the snowshoe racing champions (must have something to do with long legs).
Randy got his annual ski/snowboard trip out to the upper peninsula of Michigan. Participants included Jeremy Latcham, Trevor Scott, Audrey Lopez, Aaron Hoerst, Hilary Carignon, Jon Fairbourne, Shaun Johnson, Steve Kopischke, and Molly Latterner. Snow depth was less than usual up there, but it was adequate and the group had a good time snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing and learning about the Upper Peninsula culture.
As I watch the snow melt here in mid-February the prospect of our annual BWCA winter camping trip does not look good, but things in Minnesota have a way of changing and stalwart winter campers like Lacey Landt, Mike Phelps, Tony Cruikshank, and Casey Bakken are holding out hope. Mike, Lacey, and Casey all got new snowshoes for Christmas and are eager to give them a winter trip workout.
Personally, I’ve not even come close to getting my required quotient of cross-country skiing in and am out of sorts and grouchy most all the time. I’ve skied a couple of races, most notably the Mora Vasaloppet, and have done well, and as I write this am planning to ski the Birkebeiner on February 21st if enough snow remains on the trail to hold the race. I’m getting awfully tired of gleeful television weather people merrily chortling as February temperatures soar into the forties (I’ve spoken with Jon Fairbourne about it).
We’ve taken in a lot of new kids in Mini-School, too many to mention here, and most all of them seem to be making the adjustment to Mini-School pretty well. We keep the next generation going as Paula Chaney’s mom, Evie Bell, and her uncle John Bell were Mini-School students as was John Finch’s mom, Laurie Nasset. Randy and I have decided that when we start getting the grandchildren of some of our students it will be time to retire.
As I write this Randy and Ramona are attending the annual Minnesota Alternative Programs conference. They are learning how alternative programs are going to deal with the new graduation standards which are fast becoming a reality for Minnesota students and teachers. About a dozen of Mini-School’s sophomores took the state math and English tests the first week of February. Ramona and I coached them and most of them went into the test pretty confident. They’ll find out the results in April. Many Mini-School students possess skill levels which are more than adequate to pass the tests but do not possess very good test-taking skills or lack the ability to concentrate well enough or long enough to take these tests.
The Mini-School parent meetings have been happening on a monthly basis and enable the parents who attend to keep abreast of Mini-School happenings, staff concerns, and also enable the parents to share their concerns with the staff. For the April meeting we hope to have Gladys Folkers, a counselor who specializes in parenting, as a speaker for the parents. More will be forthcoming regarding this in the monthly parent newsletters that Joanne sends out the first week of each month.
That’s about it for this Meander. As usual we’ve heard from some alumni:
Karen Kenefick ‘95 is attending the U of M majoring in agricultural education. Is really doing well. Plans to marry in a year or two.
Katie Steger ’95 has been attending school in Missoula, Montana and will soon come home and attend school here. Katie is studying to be a veterinarian technician. She says she’s appreciating her parents more since she’s been gone — you know, having a refrigerator that has food in it and someone else buying the toilet paper.
Mike Persson ’88? is a rep for a wine company. He stopped up to school to return a
cop’s uniform to Kathy Witschorik!!?
Jerry Erickson ‘91 I see Jerry at the Marsh occasionally, a health club we both belong to.
Dallas Wilson ’75 I also see Dallas at the Marsh.
Kris Mann ’94 is into landscaping and snowplowing (a lean year) and is doing well.
The three honchos ride again:
Keith “Pugsley” Bartram ’93 stopped in to visit Mini-School. He’s out of the Navy and working as a diesel mechanic apprentice. You should hear him talk about his 5-month old boy, Macalob Augustine! Says he’s a laughing, giggling koala bear of a kid. Pugsley’s wife, Tamara, works nights as a customer service rep for a cell phone company, and between the two parents Macalob is well taken care of. No daycare for this family, says Pugs. They live in Mound now. Glad to have you back in the area!
Al Wright ’93 stopped in with Pugs. Al’s home on a 30-day leave from the Navy in Italy. He’s a Petty Officer 3rd Class and he’s a steelworker. He also gets stationed in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Guam. Brother Casey Wright was in town for a week from his home in Florida.