Dick Bergling of Anoka. Photo by Eric Hagen

In March 1965 he followed through on this childhood goal by filling out his enlistment papers. A couple months later, he fulfilled a promise he made to his father by earning his high school diploma from Anoka High School in the class of 1965.

Boot camp in San Diego, Calif., was a true melting pot of personalities and cultures, according to Bergling. The idea of boot camp was to break down the individuals and build everyone back up as one unit so nobody would think they are better than someone else and Bergling believes everyone should go through boot camp.

“There’s one thing the military does,” Bergling said. “You are put in a position where you have to perform. And the guy next to you relies on you doing your job and you rely on him to do his job. It’s not this narcissistic attitude of ‘what’s in it for me,’ because you’re all in it together.”

At the conclusion of boot camp, the military gives everyone a written test to determine how they could help. Bergling has an aptitude for fixing things, so he became a mechanical engineer aboard the USS Okinawa, which was a 600-foot-long helicopter carrier that could hold 500 crew and 1,500 Marines for transport.

Dogs were at Dick Bergling’s base in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam because their good hearing gave the base a heads up on incoming missiles long before human ears could detect them. Submitted photo

After leaving the Norfolk, Va., port, the USS Okinawa went south and crossed through the Panama Canal to get to the Pacific Ocean. He also saw Hawaii, the Philippines and Okinawa before arriving off the coast of Vietnam. Okinawa with its lush landscape is probably the most beautiful spot in the world that Bergling saw. This is where the Navy picked up the 1st Marine Division for transport to Vietnam.

The USS Okinawa stopped just off the coast of South Vietnam in an area not far south of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) line between North and South Vietnam. Bergling could not see the war from this vantage point.

Bergling boarded the USS Okinawa in November 1965. By August 1967 he felt he had been on that ship long enough and volunteered for shore duty when the Navy asked for volunteers. He could have remained on the USS Okinawa for the remaining two years of his active duty. Then he would have only had two years of reserve duty back in the U.S. until his military service concluded in March 1971.

Dick Bergling of Anoka points out the area of the Mekong Delta where he served from 1967 to 1969 during the Vietnam War. Photo by Eric Hagen

When asked why he did not remain aboard the USS Okinawa, Bergling thought long and hard about the right words to use. He did not want to use the word “experience.” He ultimately said he wanted a change and he just decided he was going to do it.

Bergling was on a river boat in the Mekong Delta between My Tho and Dong Tam for two years ferrying recognizance patrols with the Army 9th Infantry Division. The Navy’s job was to get these troops to where they needed to go and give them fire support. Although Bergling’s main job was making sure the boat’s engines kept running, he did need to fire a 50-caliber gun. There would usually be missions every three to five days.

His time in Vietnam was not restricted to transporting soldiers and firing at the enemy. They went to orphanages to give children vaccinations. At Christmas, they would bring treats to the kids. The media was never around to cover these positive stories, Bergling said. He now sees stories about how troops are helping kids in Afghanistan. These things happened in Vietnam, but Bergling said the media was very anti-war and did not do enough to cover these stories.

Bergling is not saying that bad things did not happen in Vietnam, but positive things happened as well. If the Americans had treated the Vietnamese so badly, there would not have been so many immigrating to the U.S. after the war, he said.

“It grates against me and it has bothered me ever since I got home that the media has the power to slant public opinion by what they write and how they write it,” Bergling said.

Starting Vietnam vets chapter

Bergling said you hear story after story about veterans who do not want to talk about the things that happened while they were in the service, and he understands that. If you talk about it, some may feel you are being grandiose. If you keep it in your mind, you can become vulnerable because you are showing your emotion. Some guys who break that barrier cannot stop and they change, he said.

“It was probably the greatest experience I ever had,” Bergling said when asked how the war impacted him. “I wouldn’t want to go through it again, but I’m glad I did. It made a lot of things in my life a lot clearer. It didn’t so much change my political views, but it changed how I approached things in my life.

“Things are more black and white for me. There are very few if any gray areas, which frustrates my wife to no end and my kids, too. But I found out over the years that I have to be true to myself. I can’t let things go by that irritate me and let me stew in the soup.”

This is why Bergling wanted to start a local chapter for Vietnam veterans in 1989, which became known as the Anoka County Chapter 470 of the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans of America. He wanted an outlet for members to not only talk about the war, but talk about other day-to-day issues with people with whom they have something in common.

Bergling credits the members for making the chapter what it has become. There are currently 93 members, which includes some family members and others who did not serve in the military during the Vietnam era but support the cause. They have gone to hundreds of military funerals and attended Memorial Day services. They worked with Anoka County Historical Society staff to create a Vietnam War era exhibit that won an award from the American Association for State and Local History. On its own dime, Chapter 470 flew staff from the historical society to Atlanta, Ga., to accept this award in 2007.

For many years, Chapter 470 members walked on the side of the road from the Coon Rapids VFW to the Anoka County History Center to give the public a visible reminder of Vietnam veterans and to encourage the public to treat current service members better than the older vets were treated when they came home from Vietnam.

Members have also walked to the Wetterling home in St. Joseph every five years in December from 1989 to 2009 to bring awareness to Jacob Wetterling and other missing children.

“I just wanted to project a positive image of Vietnam veterans in the northern metro area,” Bergling said. “I wanted these guys to get together and feel good about themselves, feel good about their service and that they had a group of guys that they could sit down with and had a camaraderie that we had in the military.”

Upcoming ceremonies to honor vets:

Saturday, May 26

10 a.m.: Morningside Memorial Gardens, 11800 University Ave. N.W., Coon Rapids

11:30 a.m.: Veterans Memorial in Bunker Hills Regional Park. Enter from Foley Boulevard because Main Street is closed near the south park entrance. A family picnic provided by the Anoka County Veterans Council will follow the service.

Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day)

10 a.m.: Forest Hill Cemetery Veterans Memorial, 2400 Forest Ave., in Anoka. Featuring guest speaker Brig. Gen. Kevin S. Gerdes, assistant division commander for the 34th Infantry Division for the Minnesota Army National Guard.

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

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Spring Lake Park bowler Neha Siddiqui took home fifth place with a score of 401 in the 2012 PI division girls’ state adapted bowling tournament staged May 18 at Brunswick Zone in Eden Prairie.

Spring Lake Park student Neha Siddiqui took fifth place in the 2012 PI division girls’ state adapted bowling tournament singles division.

Rules of the game

Boys’ or girls’ singles, doubles and team competitions are offered for athletes in each of two divisions – CI for athletes with cognitive impairments and PI for athletes with physical or health impairments.

Doubles pairs and teams may be co-ed. There is no limit on the number of bowlers who can compete in the various categories of competition. For example, a school could have 20 participants in singles competition, or five or six doubles teams, and more than one team from a school or co-op can participate in the same division. However, one individual athlete cannot participate in all three categories.

In adapted bowling, two games constitute a match. There are no tiebreakers during the state tournament.

A handicap is generated from a scratch score in the tournament since participants do not compete against everyone. The score of 200 is used with everyone’s handicap being figured by the following formula: 200 minus player’s average times 90 percent equals handicap. The average comprises only competitive games bowled and is updated after every match.

Some rules have been adapted to accommodate athletes with disabilities. For example, a PI athlete may use a ramp for placement and release of the ball, or a retractable-handle ball. PI athletes in wheel chairs using ramps may also bowl three consecutive frames between turns.

Adapted bowling is one of four sports the Minnesota State High School League sponsors for athletes with disabilities and the first that allows for competition among individuals.

Adapted soccer takes place in the fall, adapted floor hockey in the winter and adapted softball in the spring.

2012 CI Division results

Girls’ singles (place followed by name and school):

8. Elena Chamberlain, Blaine

9. Mackenzie Twedt, Anoka

19. Ashley Schwab, Spring Lake Park

25 (tie). Melissa Domeier, Andover, and Anna Vensland, Anoka

31. Makenzie Brenk, Blaine

41. Killi Eide, Anoka

43. Alyssa Hannan, Anoka

47. Jasmine Gomez, Coon Rapids

51. Marissa Carlstrom, Blaine

54. Allison Wold, Andover

63. Sage Daniels, Spring Lake Park

Boys’ singles (place followed by name and school):

4. Jericho Frost, Blaine

8. John Merriam, Coon Rapids

11. Taylor Michurski, Blaine

16. Logan Sande, Blaine

20 (tie). Spencer Sieber, Anoka, and Kyle Peterson, Spring Lake Park

25 (tie). Aaron Neu and Jacob McMahon, both Andover

28. Robert Perkins, Coon Rapids

37. Troy Quesnell, Blaine

54. Kyle Connolly, Andover

57. Brian Rodriquez, Spring Lake Park

62. Tommy Beaupre, Spring Lake Park

79. Brock Shepard, Blaine

89. Jason Flakne, Spring Lake Park

91. Jesse Moinicken, Andover

95. Tyler Engel, Spring Lake Park

97. James Johnson, Coon Rapids

Doubles (place followed by school and team member’s names):

7. Andover (Melissa Domeier and Allison Wold)

12. Coon Rapids (Robert Perkins and James Johnson)

19. Coon Rapids (Josie Schreder and John Merriam

22. Andover (Hannah Johnson and Aaron Neu)

23. Blaine (Makenzie Brenk and Elena Chamberlain)

31. Andover (Jesse Moinicken and Jacob McMahon)

34. Coon Rapids (Melinda Fuller and Jasmine Gomez

37 (tie). Anoka (Alyssa Hannan and Mackenzie Twedt) and Blaine (Marissa Carlstrom and Brock Shepard)

45. Blaine (Logan Sande and Mikayla Carlson)

67. Anoka (Killi Eide and Anna Vensland)

2012 PI Division results

Girls’ singles (place followed by name and school):

5. Neha Siddiqui, Spring Lake Park

17. Rachel Price, Andover

21. Hanna Maslowski, Spring Lake Park

Boys’ singles (place followed by name and school):

12. Matthew Price, Andover

23. Tyler Mashuga, Anoka

37. Alec Wellman, Coon Rapids

Doubles (place followed by school and team members’ names):

26. Andover (Matthew Price and Rachel Price)

Sue Austreng is at
sue.austreng@ecm-inc.com

Blaine High School students Michael Schermann, left, and Michael Voit, right, have been named Minnesota Scholars of Distinction in Theatre Arts. Photo submitted

Michael Voit, a junior who recently acted as J.B Biggley in the school’s spring musical, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” won the honor in the playwright category, while Michael Schermann, a senior, won in the comprehensive technical category.

Adam Wells, a senior at the high school, was named a finalist in the acting category.

Statewide, 34 students were honored as scholars of distinction in the areas of science, mathematics, social studies, leadership and theater arts.

Blaine High School is the only school in Minnesota to produce two scholars of distinction in theater arts this year.

Minnesota Scholars of Distinction in Theater Arts is an awards program supported by the Perpich Center for Arts and Education (PCAE) in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education.

To earn the recognition, students must complete challenging individual projects in a months-long application process and demonstrate mastery of complex subject material.

Michael Voit, playwright 

“It’s an honor to be named a state scholar of distinction,” said Voit. “I know it is a very sought-after title and it’s great to know the judges thought my work was deserving of it.”

As part of the award requirements, Voit submitted a sample of his original plays. He wrote an analysis on “The Importance of Being Earnest” and underwent an interview. He also wrote a monologue and performed it.

To date Voit has written about eight one-acts. Earlier this year he wrote “Seventy-six Bones,” a reader’s theater piece adapted for stage, which was performed in Blaine High School’s In the Limelight one-acts showcase.

Voit has brought a level of professionalism to Blaine’s theater group, said Blaine’s theater director Cynthia Hess. Fellow students strive to emulate his strong work ethic.

“This comes from his drive to research information so that he has an understanding for what he is writing and/or performing on the stage,” Hess said.

For Voit the best part of writing a play is seeing the story unfold. “Once you have well-defined characters along with a clear problem and a central goal, the story kind of writes itself and you just let the characters speak and act through the pen (or keyboard),” he said in an e-mail.

Similar to many writers, the most challenging part of writing plays is starting out with the blank page. “However, once I get a few lines in, things start to become less intimidating,” he said.

Voit said he hopes to be a writer and director of film and theater in the future.

Voit recently learned he has received a 2012 spring SpotLight Award from Minneapolis’ Hennepin Theatre Trust for oustanding performance in a supporting role for his portrayal of J. B. Biggley in “How to Succeed”. Voit has also appeared in Blaine High School’s “All in the Timing,” “Much Ado About Nothing” and “The Booby Trap, Wheels, Deals and Ungodly Pollution.”

Michael Schermann, tech and stage manager

Schermann, a senior, has been involved in theater technology since he was a freshman.

When he recently received a voice mail stating he was selected as a Scholar of Distinction in Theatre Arts for Comprehensive Technical Theater, he hardly heard the rest of the message.

“All I could hear in my head was ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’,” Schermann said.

Schermann started out as an actor but found himself on the technical end of theater and thoroughly enjoying it.

“I made a bunch of friends and I loved it,” he said.

To his credit, this year Schermann was stage manager for Blaine’s fall play “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” He also managed In the Limelight. This spring he managed “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Throughout his years, he has worked on props, lights and sound. Last year, he directed a 10-minute one act, “The Mercury and the Magic.”

To earn the scholar of distinction honor he submitted to a panel of three judges a portfolio that included a script analysis of “The Importance of Being Earnest” and a review of “The Lion King,” which ran at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. He submitted costume designs and a prompt book of a past stage production. His portfolio also included an original one-act comedy he penned titled “A Grimm Tale,” based on the Brothers Grimm. In April he submitted a hypothetical set, light and stage management design for Blaine High’s “How to Succeed.”

In addition to gratifying work, challenges go along with the job of stage managing.

There’s little recognition and as stage manager, the job is to uphold the artistic vision of the designers and directors, Schermann said. Sometimes, when you have differing opinions, it’s difficult to hold your tongue, Schermann said.

“But you remain calm and nice,” he said.

Hess describes Schermann as conscientious, detail oriented and focused on his theater responsibilities.

“He handles his duties with ease and professionalism and he is passing down his expertise, knowledge and success to the underclassmen who are going to be taking his place for the 2012-13 school year,” Hess said.

Schermann is also president of the school’s Thespian Troupe No. 4745.

Schermann plans to attend the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, next year. At this time he is undecided about what course of study he’ll take, but “theater is definitely on the list,” he said.

In March both he and Voit received superior ratings at the Minnesota Thespian Conferences. Schermann for stage management and Voit for short film. They will advance to the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb., at the end of June.

Voit and Schermann were honored at a ceremony as Minnesota Scholars of Distinction May 19 at the Perpich Center for Arts Education (PCAE) in Golden Valley.

This is not the first time a Blaine High School student has been designated a state scholar of distinction. Last year Jenn Kuberka, a 2011 graduate, received the honor for creating a strong portfolio in technical design in theater.

Elyse Kaner is at elyse.kaner@ecm-inc.com

Last season, the Bengals’ junior goaltender Brenden Nadeu made a save during a game with Maple Grove.

After Saturday’s 16-2 blowout win over Section 4 rival Hill-Murray, the Bengals improved their overall record to 8-2 heading into Monday’s road game at Coon Rapids.

The win over the Pioneers came on the heels of a 12-7 win on May 9 over Osseo/Park Center. The two-game winning streak ended a mini-skid where the team dropped its only two games of the season with consecutive losses 10-9 to number six-ranked Mahtomedi and 15-7 to a high scoring Champlin Park Rebels team.

“It’s always fun to be undefeated,” said Swart, describing the seasons 6-0 start. “I think you can do a lot of learning from losing, too. We lost to a couple really good teams in Champlin Park and Mahtomedi. The one-goal loss to Mahtomedi was tough because we were close, but our guys found out they could play with one of the top teams in the state.”

Leading the charge this season has been a relative newcomer to the varsity squad in junior attacker Eric Zickermann. Through the first 10 games, Zickermann leads the team in scoring with 45 points on 14 goals and 31 assists.

Zickermann sat most of last year behind three all-conference seniors, but this season has made the most of his opportunity and has become the Bengals’ top playmaker.

“He’s been our best attack man,” Swart said. “I think being able to sit and watch most of last year helped his game to where it’s at this season.”

Junior midfielder Mac Nadeau is one of the top returning players this season and his 25 goals leads the Bengals’ offense. Nadeau has 34 points and senior midfielder Conlan Meade has added 19 goals and 27 points.

The Bengals are one of the better teams in the league when it comes to defense. Six times this season they have been able to hold their opponents to seven goals or less.

The return of all-conference junior goalie Brenden Nadeau is a big reason for their stingy defense. Nadeau has a 7-2 record this year with a 63-percent save percentage. Junior Austin Nastrom saw playing time as well picking up a win against Elk River/Rogers/Zimmerman.

“We have a really good goalie in Austin, but it’s pretty much Brenden’s job in net,” Swart said. “We’ve had a few rocky games this season on defense where Brenden came up with some huge saves for us. He’s played really well for us.”

Swart credits strong play from his defensive unit. Junior defensemen Tyler Maki, Cody Johnson, Zac Sonterre and Jesse Norling have shined from the back end and Swart said both Sonterre and Norling were instrumental in their win over the Pioneers, in which they held Hill-Murray leading scorer Sam Becker in check.

“We came ready to play against Hill-Murray,” Swart said. “We really concentrated well on our spacing and movement on offense and defensively, both Sonterre and Norling were able to shutdown their best player.”

Results of Monday’s Bengals game with Coon Rapids were unavailable. Thursday the team hosts Maple Grove before closing the season against White Bear Lake.

The Bengals look for redemption against the Bears, as last season they lost in the Section 4 championship game 11-10 to White Bear Lake. It was the second consecutive year the Bengals were ousted in the section championship game as Totino-Grace ended their season in 2010 with an 8-4 victory.

“You try and schedule tough teams like Maple Grove and White Bear Lake towards the end on purpose,” Swart said. “Our goal is to win out and finally make it to the state tournament. We have some tough teams like Mahtomedi, White Bear Lake and Stillwater in our section, but I think this team has what it takes to finally make it to state.”

Blaine girls’ lacrosse edges Osseo/PC 

The Blaine girls’ lacrosse team won a high scoring affair May 9 defeating Osseo/Park Center 16-15.

It was the Bengals third win of the season. Earlier in the year they defeated Becker 9-6 and Andover 11-5. They had an overall record of 3-7 prior to Monday’s game with Coon Rapids.

Senior midfielder Cailin Bourdeaux is enjoying a career year offensively scoring a team-high 33 goals and 38 points. Senior forward Michaela Ward is second with 15 goals and seniors Kayle Julin and Elizabeth Bruder each have 10 goals.

Junior goalie Shaina Gillman has posted three wins in goal this season.

Blaine finishes the regular season with a game today (Friday) at Irondale.

The section 4 playoffs begin May 21 where the Bengals look to improve on last year’s first-round 12-11 loss to White Bear Lake.

Six classes are scheduled throughout the summer on select Wednesday evenings in the Veterans Peace and Master Gardener demonstration garden south of the activities center from 7 to 8 p.m.

Session topics are:

• Herbs! You’ve Grown Them; Now What? – June 6.

• Plants and Pets – How Safe are Yours? – June 20

• 2012 Color Combinations in the Veterans Memorial Display Garden – July 11

• Gardens of the Night – July 25.

• Garden Scene Investigators: Exploring the Creepy Crawlies in the Garden – Aug. 8.

• Gardening to Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies – Aug. 22

Classes will be taught by Anoka County Master Gardener volunteers and will include many useful gardening tips and University of Minnesota research-based information.

These classes immediately follow the plant and insect diagnostic clinics, also held at the Bunker Hills Activities Center.

Classes are free, but pre-registration is required due to space limitations. Donations to the program are welcome.

Call 763-755-1280 to reserve space. A copy of the brochure is available at http://www.extension.umn.edu/county/Anoka or http://blog.lib.umn.edu/mgweb/anoka/ and lists complete class descriptions.

Brianna Havelka, Katie Wolter and Libby Storrick cross center field during a May 9 game against the Champlin Park Rebels. The Cardinals added to their win streak, beating the Rebels 14-8 and upping their win-loss record to 8-2 after that game. Photo by Sue Austreng

The Cardinals have certainly found an offensive rhythm lately. Since losing to Armstrong 10-9 on April 30, Coon Rapids has defeated Centennial 14-4, Andover 18-2, Champlin Park 14-8, Hill Murray 14-8 and now Blaine 21-6.

Four girls – Bri Havelka, Sammi DeJoy, Chelsea Cyert and Katie Wolter –  have helped out with more than 30 points this season.

“All four are quick and fast,” head coach Jeff DeJoy said. “All four love to take it to goal. All four love to score. It is quite a foursome.”

Things haven’t always been this peachy thanks to losses against Stillwater and Armstrong earlier this season.

“There are times when you want to wring their necks and other times when you want to give them a round of applause,” DeJoy said. “We went through periods of time where some people put personal goals and accomplishments ahead of team goals. That didn’t go over very well. Once we got past that poor decision making, things improved.”

After defeating Blaine on Monday the Cardinals cliched at least a tie for the Northwestern Suburban Conference title with Champlin Park and Armstrong.

“Champlin Park beat Armstrong,” DeJoy said. “Armstrong beat us and we beat Champlin Park, so we have that triangle thing going on.”

The Cardinals tied for the conference title last season with Centennial.

“That makes two conference titles in the four years of our program’s existence – not too bad,” DeJoy said. “That is a nice feather in the cap of our girls.”

The next order of business is to take care of some unfinished business. Last season the girls had such a good regular season, but fell short in the section final losing to Stillwater.

If anything, DeJoy is a little concerned about overconfidence. After winning by such large margins most of the season, the girls haven’t played many meaningful minutes late in games.

“I always worry that the girls will just think that those things happen and forget that they have to make those things happen,” DeJoy said. “I work hard to keep them level-headed and not let them get overconfident, yet they have to still be able to take a step back and enjoy what they have accomplished.”

If the Cardinals keep the high-powered offensive machine running, the Cardinals season could last to June.

“I would be afraid to play us,” DeJoy said. “We have so many weapons and the second best defense in the state. We apply a lot of pressure all over the field. We have a lot of girls who like to win and will give it their all in every game.”

The Section 4 playoffs are scheduled to begin on May 24 and it takes four straight wins to get to state beginning June 5.

Stillwater appears to be the Cardinals’ toughest hurdle. Coon Rapids is 0-4 against Stillwater.

Mahtomedi is also in the midst of a solid season and it’s tough to beat a team such as Champlin Park twice in a season.

“The girls are hungry and we are ready,” DeJoy said. “Now it’s just time to see what we can do.”

Andy Rogers is at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com

This seasonal change in open hours continues the long-standing tradition of this branch closing during slower summer days. All other Anoka County Library branches will be open during their regularly scheduled Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on Anoka County Library locations and hours, please visit www.anoka.lib.mn.us.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) will be working on four different projects along Highway 65 in East Bethel and Ham Lake this year from June through December. This Highway 65-Bunker Lake Boulevard project is slated to begin in July and be done in November, according to MnDOT.

Additional turn lanes to improve the flow of traffic will be what motorists will notice the most. This includes a second left-turn lane for northbound Highway 65 traffic going west on Bunker Lake Boulevard and an extended southbound Highway 65 left-turn lane for traffic going east on Bunker. Both northbound lanes will be extended as well.

Traffic heading west on Bunker Lake Boulevard will get a second through lane very briefly until Johnson Street to accommodate two lanes of vehicles turning from northbound Highway 65.

Right-turn lanes will be added on Bunker Lake Boulevard at Johnson and Lincoln streets.

Having the second left-turn lane for people going west on Bunker will obviously help clear the left northbound Highway 65 lane a little quicker during the afternoon rush hour. That is not the only benefit though, according to MnDOT’s North Area Engineer Mark Lindeberg.

He said MnDOT could decrease the time that the left arrow stays green to help drivers heading south on Highway 65.

Anoka County Highway Engineer Doug Fischer told the city of Ham Lake’s road committee at its March 28 meeting that the county’s ultimate goal is to widen Bunker Lake Boulevard to four through lanes between Highway 65 and Jefferson Street. The county will be requesting funding for a possible 2017 project.

In the meantime, the reconstruction of the Highway 65-Bunker Lake Boulevard intersection area will be the extent of the work this summer and fall.

The construction costs

MnDOT is taking the lead on this project. According to the county and city’s development agreement, MnDOT has agreed to pay up to $594,000 for this project, which is now estimated to cost $704,575. The city’s construction contribution is slated to be $27,444 and the county would pick up the rest of the tab.

Most of Ham Lake’s construction costs can be attributed to the new traffic signal that will be installed at the conclusion of the project. The city will use Municipal State Aid (MSA) funding it receives from MnDOT. This money comes from the state gas tax.

Eric Hagen is at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com

Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park/Coon Rapids, (right) gives Rep. Denise Dittrich, DFL-Champlin/Coon Rapids, a hug after Dittrich closed her farewell speech on the Minnesota House floor May 10. Dittrich is not seeking re-election. Photo by T.W. Budig

“It’s with a heavy heart that I leave,” said Rep. Denise Dittrich, DFL-Champlin/Coon Rapids, one of the area lawmakers not seeking re-election.

Dittrich addressed fellow lawmakers in the hushed House chamber not long after the House voted to adjourn sine die at 4:13 a.m.

Dittrich spoke of enduring friendships she struck up in her service in the House.

In her final comments, Dittrich, who played a key role in the passage of school trust land reform legislation this session, spoke of hoping that when her colleagues in the future visited their local schools that they would look the children in the eye and tell them that they’re so special that people long ago bequeathed to them the wonderful legacy of land.

Parent volunteer Jay King helps students while Luis Jauregui checks out a bookmark he purchased. Photo by Elyse Kaner

“Obviously, it’s the suckers!” she says, as in what kind of a question is that?

Zanna, along with her father Jay King, a parent volunteer, last week were minding a temporary store set up in front of the school’s office as part of the service project.

Kids with coins in their tightly clenched fists were eagerly awaiting a chance to buy either a sucker, pencil or bookmark created by the second-graders.

The store ran out of Tootsie Pops not once, but twice during the 20 minutes before school started May 9, the second day of the four-day campaign.

Woodcrest’s second-graders, about 100 students, or as staff prefers to call them, friends, are in the third year of running a citizen service project, a student target on their report cards.

This year the industrious students raised $575. Proceeds will go to the local Meals on Wheels.

“Our budget is really tight right now,” said Eve Frank, executive director of Meals on Wheels of southern Anoka County. “We’ll use the money to help clients who can’t afford to pay for their meals.”

In its first year of the Woodcrest service project, students donated funds to purchase toys for kids at Unity Hospital. Last year, in a similar project, the second-graders raised $380, funds they donated to the Animal Humane Society.

“It’s a good opportunity to feel what it’s like to give to other people,” said Becca Gangl, second-grade teacher and co-organizer of the project.

Students also learn about how to be a good citizen and how to work together, she said.

Second-grade teacher Amy Reiland enjoys seeing the third-graders’ excitement about the project.

“They remember it and they support it,” she said.

As part of the project, students created posters and made announcements over the school public address system. Some visited classrooms to speak to classmates and increase awareness of the cause. Others decorated bags to give to Meals on Wheels recipients.

Continued from 1A

In addition to Gangl and Reiland, second-grade teachers whose classes also participated in the project are Katie Coulter, Acacia Sieling and Karisa Marquardt.

Students earlier this week had planned to walk en masse a few blocks up the road to Unity Hospital to deliver the funds to where the local Meals on Wheels is based.

Zanna was looking forward to her second day of selling goods to her pals.

“I liked helping get the younger kids what they wanted,” she said.

What was the biggest thing she learned from the project?

“You should always have suckers,” she said.

Elyse Kaner is at elyse.kaner@ecm-inc.com

This event will begin with an 11:30 a.m. tee off. After the golfing is completed, participants and supporters of the club’s Lions for Literacy campaign will adjourn to The Harvest Grill restaurant for a silent auction and awards dinner.

All proceeds from the tournament and dinner will go towards the nine Books for Bango events the club hosts at the local elementary schools each year.

The club provides the funds for the new, age-appropriate books that are purchased by the PTO groups or school activity coordinators at each school.

These books are then distributed to the students by playing a game of bango the Lions host during the school day for each class.

According to Lyle Goff, golf tournament co-chairperson, the result of this game is that every child at the schools will receive at least one new book each year for them to keep as their own.

Over the years this program has been in place, the Coon Rapids Lions Club has distributed tens of thousands of free books to the students in our community schools, Goff said.

“By improving the life of a student by encouraging them to read, the Lions know this program will ultimately make our community a better place to live,” he said.

In addition, the tournament and dinner also gives club members another opportunity to mix and mingle in their community, Goff said.

“The club is hoping the community will get involved in the golf tournament to help support literacy in our schools and our community,” he said.

“The Lions are always looking for ways to help out the community and the support of this long-standing youth-oriented activity is just one of the ways it tries to help.”

According to Goff, the club is currently looking for sponsorships, auction items and attendees for the spring classic.

“Local businesses and companies are being asked to help make this an exciting and successful golf tournament by providing support in the form of cash donations, gift items, gift certificates or other forms of financial support,” Goff said.

“Persons interested in participating in the golf tournament or attending the awards dinner are being sought by the Coon Rapids Lions Club as well.”

Details on how to sign up as a sponsor or as a participant can be found on the Coon Rapids Lions website (www.coonrapidslions.org).

For more information about the golf tournament, contact golf tournament co-chairperson Lori Anderson at 763-422-6885 or by e-mailing golf@CoonRapidsLions.org.

Earlier this spring the city of Anoka moved ahead with a new concept to do summer-long leases of dock space near the boat landing on the Rum River.

The remaining two slips are available on a first-come, first-served basis, said Lisa LaCasse, recreation supervisor for the city of Anoka.

If more than six applications had been received before the May 11 deadline, the city had planned to hold a lottery for the slips with preference given to Anoka residents. This is a system that has been successful to manage Anoka’s community garden space.

The cost to rent a slip for the summer is $1,800. Those who have leased slips for this year will have first chance to renew their lease for the 2013 boating season.

The city expects to have the new dock system in place by Memorial Day weekend. Slips will be limited to pleasure boats no longer than 24 feet.

The Anoka City Council approved the leasing policy at its May 7 meeting.

According to Public Services Director Greg Lee, the city is also considering a similar public docking system north of the dam on the Rum River.

The leased slips are part of the council’s direction for staff to increase recreational opportunities on the river, while increasing revenues for the parks department, said Lee.

Mandy Moran Froemming is at editor.anokaunion@ecm-inc.com

Wilson Elementary School staff were honored May 1 for going “Above & Beyond” for Nic Ballweber, a first-grade student, and his family. Pictured with Ballweber’s mother, Amy Smolak (second from left) are Juanita Pabone, child nutrition assistant; Diane Henning, principal; Sandi Cotter, kindergarten teacher; Cecilia Clark, first-grade teacher; Denise Whitaker, media specialist; Ken Ujifusa, social worker; and Kathy Kruger, health para-educator. Photo submitted

Prior to the start of the school year, her son, Ballweber, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, an inoperable tumor located on the brain stem. Because the Wilson staff has been amazing through her son’s illness, Smolak wanted to nominated the entire school for an award.

“It would be impossible to pick just one person to nominate because all of them have done an amazing job of working together to get done whatever they felt needed to be done,” said Smolak of the staff who worked hard to help him start first grade and to remain part of the school community even during his absences during hospitalizations and treatments. “They are very genuine people; they are doing what they are doing because they want to, not because they have to. They have very big hearts.”

While nominating an entire school did not fit the Above & Beyond Award criteria as advertised, Smolak’s request was so moving that the committee decided to be flexible and an exception was made.

In making a special presentation at the Above & Beyond Award ceremony April 25, Mary Olson, director of the communication and public relations department and co-presenter at the ceremony, shared Ballweber’s story.

While he started school in September, his mother was told in October he had a short time to live and she made the decision to keep him at home. In January, Ballweber and his family received hope after he underwent a surgery and was able to return to school in February. This spring, Ballweber was again hospitalized and now attends school on a limited basis.

In addition to being recognized at the Above & Beyond Award ceremony, a short presentation, along with cake and punch, was held at Wilson May 1. While Ballweber was not able to attend, his mother spoke and shared with everyone how they have touched her family members’ lives.

“I don’t think I can find the perfect works to express how your actions have impacted my life,” Smolak said. “I’ve never known a school like this before.”

Dr. Mary Wolverton, associate superintendent of elementary schools, also spoke to the Wilson staff. She said hearing Ballweber’s story at the Above & Beyond Award ceremony touched her on a level that is hard to explain.

“Every single one of you work hard for the school’s children day in and day out,” Wolverton said. “You really get to the core of what we do and understand how we matter to the children and families who come into our lives. We can only imagine the impact we’ve had on Nic and his mom.

“At the ceremony every single school administrator and teacher I talked with was amazed at what you have done to support Nic and Amy. They were equally amazed that Amy brought this story forward to share with us. Thank you.”

Principal Diane Henning also shared her gratitude with the staff.

“There are hundreds of little ways you each did something that has been part of Nic and Amy’s journey,” she said. “I am so grateful and so proud of this staff because of who you are and what you do for kids.”

Click on image to view slideshow

Click on image to view slideshow

Elite triathletes take the plunge during the first wave of the first-ever Blaine triathlon. Photo by Sue Austreng

Crossing the finish line as overall winner was 30-year-old Brandon Ordway of Maplewood, who claimed a come-from-behind victory when he sprinted past Jeff Grebner just one half-mile from the finish in the final leg of the race.

Grebner had finished the swim leg and the bike leg and started the run leg more than three minutes ahead of his nearest competitor – Ordway.

But three miles into the 3.5-mile run – the final leg of the race – Ordway ran past Grebner and held on to the lead through the finish.

Finishing third was Thomas Morgan of Minneapolis, while Greta Simpson of Minneapolis, Cheryl Zitur of Corcoran and Christina Meier of Minneapolis claimed first-, second- and third-places overall in the women’s category.

Some 40 percent of the 350 triathletes competing in the first Blaine triathlon were residents of Blaine, and the event reached capacity more than a month before race date.

“This was a great race. The course was beautiful, everything was so well managed, so many volunteers – everything was just really well done,” Ordway said after stretching out and cooling down following the race.

Micah and Laura Byers of Ham Lake completed their first triathlon when they crossed the finish line.

“We just thought we’d try it. We’ve never done a triathlon before and since we have two children, this might be the only chance we get,” Laura said before plunging into Sunrise Lake for the 0.3-mile swim leg of the race.

Other finishers of note include Denae VanWestrienen of Blaine who crossed the line on crutches, arm-in-arm with her Moms on the Run teammate Kristen Genet.

VanWestrienen and Genet had both registered and trained for the triathlon, but when VanWestrienen tore her ACL while skiing in Colorado, she had to drop out.

“This would have been her first triathlon. I couldn’t cross the finish line without her,” said Genet, who found VanWestrienen on the sideline just a few yards from the finish line, wrapped her arms around her and walked her to the end.

Bob Williams of Blaine was another noteworthy triathlete. The 67-year old was the oldest athlete registered for the race and finished first in the 65-69 year old age group.

For complete results of the first Blaine triathlon, visit www.frontrunnerusa.com/our-events/results and click on blainetriresults2012.

Sue Austreng is at
sue.austreng@ecm-inc.com

St. Francis High School Principal Paul Neubauer shared a story on how mediation helped him and students who were suspended after spray painting bomb threats on the school’s doors. Photo by Eric Hagen

Mediation Services of Anoka County has been doing this for 25 years. Alice Johnson has met with husbands and wives going through divorces and trying to decide how to share the wealth and time with their kids. Johnson and her husband Richard Jefferson have also mediated in schools when there are harassment or food throwing problems.

Gwen Neumann has worked in Anoka County’s conciliation court. She typically gets 15 to 30 minutes to get two parties to reach an agreement before a judge settles the issue for them.

Mary Ann Broos has also worked in conciliation court and dealt with shared parenting issues, which could or could not have included married couples.

What these three and the other 40 or so mediators have in common is they are volunteering their time. They receive no stipends or mileage reimbursement.

“Their payment is the satisfaction of helping people resolve their conflicts — and sometimes there’s no resolution and that makes the payment even less,” said Dave Bartholomay, executive director of Mediation Services for Anoka County.

The volunteer mediators and staff of Mediation Services of Anoka County put on a “Breakfast with Champions” fund-raiser the morning of May 10 at St. Stephen’s Church in Anoka. The goal was to raise funds for the services at a time when funding has decreased.

According to Bartholomay, the annual budget in recent years has been around $175,000. The budget decreased when the organization lost the $40,000 it had received annually from the United Way.

Bartholomay said the United Way began focusing its efforts on basic needs, access to health care and early childhood education. Mediation does not fall into these categories, so funding went away.

Today, the biggest revenue sources are the government contracts for services.

“Mediation is cost-effective,” said Anoka County Board Chairperson Rhonda Sivarajah. “It saves time and money for both parties involved as well as the public. But more importantly, it helps to mend those broken relationships, not only between family members, but between neighbors and friends.”

Sivarajah shared a story of how some people had left the Anoka County Master Gardener program because of some issues. The mediator got the gardeners together and got them to agree on a resolution, she said.

A mediator can have any background. For example, Johnson was formerly a staff person in the Minnesota House of Representatives and later served as a state representative from 1987 to 2000. Broos has worked in human resources, presently for Sears. Neumann is a special education teacher.

The keynote speaker for the breakfast was former Minnesota Vikings running back Oscar Reed, who played with the Purple from 1968 through 1974 and for the Atlanta Falcons in 1975.

Reed did not plan to be a mediator after retiring from the NFL, but principals kept asking him to talk to kids. Then he began mediating issues at a Native American tribe reservation where sitting in a circle and speaking about problems is part of the culture.

He began stopping by schools more often in and outside Minnesota. He eventually learned from a state government employee that there are grants that would pay him for this mediation service. For the past 30 years, Reed has met with students in circle groups every single week.

He works the most with St. Louis Park High School and the principal has told him how big of a difference Reed has made in the school, he said. According to Reed, the school is culturally diverse and he noticed that kids of color were getting suspended far more than white students and the suspensions were sometimes for little things like running or talking too loud in the hall.

Reed made a point to get kids of different ethnic backgrounds together to discuss what was on their mind and the principal would come if invited to hear what the students had to say, he said.

The St. Louis Park School District is looking at making these circle group restorative justice sessions part of the district’s policies and Reed said he recently held a training session with teachers.

St. Francis High School Principal Paul Neubauer told the story of how he had to suspend five students who usually do not get in trouble for one year because they spray painted bomb threats on the doors of the high school after the Minnesota Vikings lost to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game.

Mediation gave each side a chance to understand where the other side was coming from and Neubauer said he found out the students had no malicious intent.

They just wanted a two-hour delay of school the day after the game, but Neubauer said he had explain how what they did was wrong and he had to throw the book at them because of public outcry about safety. Now when he sees the students in the community, it is a more positive experience.

Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo said there is an old saying that if you want to convert someone, make them part of the decision making process.

Mediation Services’ volunteers started to work in Anoka County conciliation court two years ago to try to get two parties to reach a solution before a judge finds it for them.

Only five of the 87 Minnesota counties have mediation services available in conciliation court, according to Anoka County Assistant Chief Judge Douglas Meslow.

“Parties come in thinking they’re geared up for battle and yet many of them walk away. Instead of snarling at each other and being mad at the judges they walk out with a smile and a hand shake and an agreement,” Meslow said.

The demand on mediators will only grow because the Minnesota Legislature has increased the dollar limit for someone to go through conciliation court. The old limit was $7,500. The limit will be $10,000 by Aug. 1 and $15,000 two years from now, Meslow said.

This means the court system will need to lean more on Mediation Services and its volunteers, which Meslow thanked for their community service. “That’s going to mean two things,” he said.

“It’s going to mean more cases and it’s going to mean higher stakes, which means it’s going to be all the more important that we have all the resources available that we can to get good resources, to get good resolutions.”

Two local teams have qualified from the state finals of the problem-solving competition – one representing Coon Rapids High School and the other Anoka-Hennepin high schools.

Parents Doug and Marian Boorman are coaches of the CRHS team, which goes by the name, Short Attention Spaaan, while daughter Becky is coaching the Anoka-Hennepin high schools team, known as CHCC.

The Boormans began their journey in the Destination ImagiNation (DI) tournament some 16 to 17 years ago when Becky was a student at University Avenue Elementary School, Blaine, then continued as Becky went to Northdale Middle School and Coon Rapids High School.

The Coon Rapids High School Short Attention Spaaan team that will be competing next week in the Destination ImagiNation global finals at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Back row, Colt Freund, Matt Moen, Danna Gilbertson. Front row, Ari Ash and Alyssa Ash. Not pictured: Chris Lommel.

Even when Becky graduated from CRHS and went on to compete at DI global finals at the college level, Doug and Marian continued to coach Coon Rapids High School teams.

In fact, according to Doug Boorman, their teams have qualified for global finals from regional and state competition nine times, including 2011 when the CRHS squad place seventh in a field of 60-plus teams from all over the world at the international event in Knoxville.

“We hope to do as well as last year, maybe better,” Doug Boorman said.

Not only has Becky Boorman competed in Destination ImagiNation in the college category – she is a graduate of the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul – she has been a judge at the global finals.

This year is her first as a coach.

While the two squads compete in different categories in the high school division, they share practice space at Presbyterian Church of the Master, Coon Rapids, and two team members.

Ari Ash, Blaine High School, and Danna Gilbertson, Columbia Heights, are members of both the Short Attention Spaaan and CHCC teams.

Joining Ash and Gilbertson on the Coon Rapids High School team are Chris Lommel, Matt Moen, Alyssa Ash and Colt Freund, all of Coon Rapids High School.

The four-member Anoka Hennepin High Schools News to Me team that is headed to Destination ImagiNation global finals in Tennessee next week is, left to right, Ari Ash, Danna Gilbertson, Maddy Gilbertson and Brittney Allen.

On the four-member all-girl CHCC team with Ash and Gilbertson are Brittney Allen of Northdale Middle School, who will be attending Blaine High School in the fall, and Maddy Gilbertson of Columbia Heights.

The Gilbertson sisters became involved in the local DI teams through being members of Presbyterian Church of the Master, according to Danna Gilbertson.

The CRHS team is competing in the structural Hold It! category, while the Anoka-Hennepin quartet is in the improvisation News to Me challenge.

The Hold It! challenge involves building a structure made of balsa wood and glue to hold the weight and contain tournament-provided golf balls, as well as a delivery device to deposit the golf balls one at a time into the wood structure.

At the same time, the team has to create and present an original story, with the theme of “Captivation,” and integrate the weight placement and golf ball delivery into that story.

Moen and Lommel designed and built the wood structure and delivery device, respectively, while Ari Ash and Danna Gilbertson have created the original story.

According to Ash and Gilbertson, their story is about a mad scientist and who falls in love with a neighborhood girl, and she tries to keep him in line.

Lommel plays the mad scientist and Gilbertson the girl.

“It’s a love story that we have tried to make funny and not too uncomfortable,” the girls said.

The team has also constructed a backdrop of scenery. “The scenery, the structures and the improvisation, it’s all done by the kids,” Doug Boorman said.

At the state competition, the team ran out of time with 18 balls out of maximum possible of 24 having been deposited into the wood structure by the delivery device, but still took first place, according to Doug Boorman.

And the CRHS wood structure was a lot lighter in weight than the second-place team – 5.7 grams compared with 15 grams, he said.

Becky Boorman’s News to Me team placed second at state to qualify for global finals, but will represent Minnesota alone in its division because the first-place finisher at state is not going to Knoxville, she said.

“The girls on the team wanted to do the improvisation challenge,” Becky Boorman said.

According to the quartet, they thought it would be fun and it has been.

“It’s been so much fun,” Allen said. “We do goofy stuff.”

The News to Me challenge has two different skits. In each one, two different types of news stories are selected and linked in the skits through cause and effect relationships, with team members acting as scenery and props to enhance the skits.

But Becky Boorman said there is little time to practice because the news stories for one skit can only be chosen 10 days before the competition.

The team competes May 25 at the global finals so it cannot begin to select new stories until May 15, she said.

“We have been finding bizarre news stories for practice sessions,” Becky Boorman said.

However, the team also has to improvise a cause and effect skit on two unrelated news stories that are given to them a few minutes before the challenge competition.

At the same time, they have to adapt and improvise when their plans “become totally discombobulated by a one-minute glitch,” according to the DI summary of the News to Me Challenge.

Not only that but DI teams in all categories have to compete in a completely unrelated instant challenge competition.

They have five minutes to respond to the instant challenge they are given and present their solution, whether it be building a structure or performing a skit, and at least two members of the team must participate, according to Doug Boorman.

“The kids really have to think on their feet,” Marian Boorman said.

The two teams only lose two members to graduation this year – Danna Gilbertson and Allyson Ash, she said.

The teams leave for the drive to Tennessee Monday with the global finals starting Wednesday, May 23 and competition continuing through Saturday, May 26, with the awards ceremony taking place that night.

Since it started in 1999, Destination ImagiNation has grown to involve more than 125,000 students in the United States and 30 other countries.

According to its website, DI focuses on creativity, teamwork and problem solving.

There are seven challenges in three different K-12 age division plus a college division.

Taylor Snelling steals second as the throw to Anoka’s Amy Niedenfuer comes in late during the May 11 game that pit St. Francis against Anoka. The Saints won that game 4-2. Followed by a 9-1 loss to Hill-Murray and a 6-5 win over Lakeville North on May 12, the Saints were at 11-5 for the season. Photo by Bill Jones

It can, if it has trouble scoring runs at key moments. And that’s something St. Francis is trying to fix as the regular season winds down.

“In some of our tougher games, we haven’t always been able to score when we’ve had runners on base,” co-head coach Carolyn Thompson said. “We should be able to do that. The top of our lineup is solid, and we have good hitters in the middle and bottom of the order.”

Although the Saints have 96 runs in their first 17 games (they were 12-5 in that span), many of those were scored against two of the North Suburban Conference’s weaker teams, Columbia Heights (22-4) and St. Louis Park (21-0), on back-to-back days in April.

Runs were tougher to come by in clutch situations against Irondale and Spring Lake Park, the top two teams in the league. St. Francis lost to Irondale 6-3 and Spring Lake Park 7-6.

The Saints were 8-2 in their first 10 conference games, one-half game behind Irondale (8-1). To have a chance at the conference title, they needed to keep winning and get some assistance from Irondale’s opponents.

“It’s still a goal,” said Thompson, who shares head coaching duties with Al Schlomann. “We’ll need to win out.”

St. Francis defeated Benilde-St. Margaret’s 4-3 in a key North Suburban game Monday. On Saturday, the Saints defeated South Suburban Conference co-champion Lakeville North 6-5 in a non-conference game.

A core group of six seniors has kept St. Francis in the conference race. Infielder Kelsey Gale has been one of the top leadoff hitters in the conference, Thompson said. “If she gets on base, she’ll score,” the coach said.

Taryn Luby, the Saints’ catcher, is batting close to .500. Several others are in the .300s, including pitcher Deb Evans.

Seniors anchor the St. Francis infield. Sam Salo plays first base, Gale is at second, Miranda Husnick plays shortstop and Brie Blowers is the third baseman.

The Saints have used three pitchers – Evans and sophomores Caitlin Luby and Taylor Snelling. Thompson said all three have been used in the same game and the coaches wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

While switching back and forth between the three pitchers might help keep hitters off-balance, Thompson said pitching changes have been made primarily to protect arms or substitute for someone who is struggling.

If the Saints can’t win the North Suburban in one of their final shots at that title, they won’t have any time to sulk about it. The Section 7AAA playoffs begin May 22.

Mike Shaughnessy is at mike.shaughnessy@ecm-inc.com