BY DR. HEIDI HAHN, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
As Minnesotans, it’s a rite of passage to be overly enthusiastic and in awe of springtime; the sun shines stronger, flowers start peeking out of the ground, and everything is new again. Fittingly, it’s also a busy and exciting time at the District as we look forward to several senior recognition ceremonies and graduation — the perfect time to pause and reflect on the amazing people and programs in our schools and community!
In January of this year, Brainerd Public Schools kicked off its 150-year celebration of delivering public education to the people of Brainerd and beyond. John Erickson (class of 1967), our volunteer archivist, has been integral in documenting and sharing the stories of the fascinating people that have walked our halls and the intriguing artifacts that symbolize what the Warrior Way is all about (see page 28).
From actress to Monster Jam driver (see page 6) to the owners of some of your favorite local restaurants (see page 14), you can find our graduates in every aspect of life, and there’s a likelihood you have crossed paths with them.
Throughout the last several publications of this magazine, we have been highlighting our high school Career and Technical Education programs. This edition focuses on our welding program. Whether a student wants to explore the field by taking one class or plans to continue on to earn a degree from Central Lakes College, welding offers students so much more than the basics — it’s an opportunity to learn soft skills such as selfadvocacy, communication and time management (see page 18).
As administrators, teachers, and staff of Brainerd Schools, we aim to build a sense of belonging and a culture of lifelong learning. A truly shining example of that can be found in the story of Maddy White. Through the support of her parents and her work with teachers and staff in the ATLAS (Area Transitional Learning and Skills) program at Lincoln Education Center, Maddy has gained new independence through the job and life skills she has learned (see page 12).
Brainerd Public Schools are not just a place to come to school; they are a place to find opportunities, connections, purpose and community.
A Place to Belong — Brainerd Public Schools.
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER
Pete Mohs
SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR/ COPY EDITOR
DeLynn Howard DESIGN LAYOUT
Christopher Johnson
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Joey Halvorson
Brainerd Public Schools magazine is produced by the Brainerd Dispatch in cooperation with the Brainerd Public Schools.
Comments and story ideas: Annmarie.Lacher@isd181.org | 218-454-6904
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Copyright 2010 | Volume 13, Edition 1 | SPRING 2023
506 James Street Brainerd, MN 56401 (218) 829-4705 | www.brainerddispatch.com
18
Welcome Spring 2023
Superintendent’s Letter
By Heidi HahnLegendary Women
Lincoln Education Center: Setting students up for success
By Alyson Levig
Alumni Spotlight: Foy brothers
By Sheila HelmbergerWorld of opportunities with welding program
By Sue Smith-Grier
The three Cs lead to blue ribbons at Lowell Elementary
By Sue
SterlingBPS archivist devotes time to district’s 150th anniversary
By Sheila DeChantal
Adventures at a Glance
and very proud to transport your children throughout the school year. We take pride that we have been a part of this community for 75 years!
Never pay for daycare; bring your kids with you Paid training! Don't have a license? NO problem! We will pay you to learn! Earn $15,000+ per year working part time!
At Brainerd Public Schools, we want every student, family, staff member, and community member to feel like their school community is where they belong.
We want people to feel valued and empowered as they experience academics, arts, athletics, and activities in our schools. Since 1987, March has been designated National Women’s History Month — a time to celebrate positive female role models from all backgrounds. Every woman has a story to tell and gifts to share, and we are ready to celebrate them. It’s often said that if you can see it, you can be it.
The Legendary Women Class of 2023 is a reflection of the excellence in Brainerd Public Schools. Honoring the Legendary Women of Brainerd Public Schools during National Women’s History Month shines a spotlight on our graduates and their contributions to their service fields locally and globally. Seeing is believing, and it is our hope that our 2023 inductees will encourage and inspire future generations of Warriors to achieve their dreams.
— Superintendent Heidi Hahn
‘19
Laura Brutsman Busch has been a performance artist for 50 years. She went on to attend and graduate from The Juilliard School in New York City and became a member of The Acting Company of John Houseman and Margot Harley, performing all over the country. Her performance repertoire includes an off-Broadway production of “Without Apologies” and an extra part in the movie “Big.” Busch credits her Brainerd Public Schools education for her success at Juilliard and beyond.
After shifting her career to take care of and advocate for her children, Busch returned to the stage to tour with St. Cloud’s Pioneer Place production of “Fishing Widows” and played a supporting role in “Tilt” a dramatic thriller set in Brainerd with Silent Shout Productions. She now performs on the stage at Central Lakes College.
Honored posthumously is 1919 graduate Mildren O’Brien Chalberg, who attended the College of Saint Teresa and Columbia University. She taught at Brainerd High School for several years before marrying Jack Chalberg and starting her family. She returned to teaching for one year, as a Latin teacher at Franklin Junior High. While her teaching career was short-lived, Chalberg’s community engagement was strong throughout her 97-year life. She served as secretary/treasurer of O’Brien Mercantile, was a member of the League of Women Voters and was an alternate delegate to the 1992 Democratic National Convention. She also sat on the National Council of Catholic Women and the St. Francis School Parent Teacher Association. Former student John Erickson likens Chalberg to a character from an Agatha Christie novel, saying her “diminutive appearance shrouded a formidable intellectual rigor and vigor within.”
Sheila McKinney DeChantal (1985)
Despite unspeakable personal losses, Sheila McKinney DeChantal has continued to live life fully and give all that she can to the Brainerd lakes community.
Her professional history includes customer service, grant work with businesses and nonprofits, children’s ministry and now marketing director/promotions for 3 Cheers Hospitality. Her volunteer work extends even further. As president of the Friends of the Brainerd Public Library, DeChantal created the annual Wine and Words Event, which was recognized in 2014 by the Minnesota Library Association as the Best New Friends Event in Minnesota. She has partnered with organizations like the Crossing Arts Alliance, Camp Benedict and the Brainerd Historic Water Tower Preservation, putting together events to raise money for various causes.
In 2020, she created Quarantingo, a Facebook live game bringing together local businesses and those quarantined at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brainerd Community Action named DeChantal the 2020 Outstanding Citizen Of the Year, and the Nisswa Lions Club gave her the Helen Keller Award for Community Building the same year. DeChantal writes for Her Voice Magazine and the Lake Country Journal.
After taking automotive and welding classes at Brainerd High School, Becky McDonough Epidendio went on to study high performance engines and chassis fabrication. Most of her professional education, however, has been earned on the job, working with monster trucks.
Epidendio has been a crew chief, driver and mechanical and body repair technician during her career. She shattered the glass ceiling in the monster truck world, becoming the first female crew chief at Monster Jam, the first female to win a race in a Monster Jam World Finals and boasts eight consecutive World Finals appearances and her own clothing line.
She won the 2016 Minneapolis Freestyle event by executing consecutive backflips with her 10,000 pound truck and was named Overall Event Champion in Minneapolis in 2018 and Atlanta in 2019.
Her monster truck passions have taken her to all 50 states and 27 different countries.
After graduating from Brainerd, Susan Koering went on to earn a health information management degree from the College of St. Scholastica and a master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota. In addition to her long professional career in specialized forms of medical information management in large Minnesota hospitals, Koering has a long history of volunteering in her community. She was on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society Hennepin County Unit and served as president and education foundation chair of the National Cancer Registrars Association, becoming a leader for more than 5,000 cancer registrars in the country.
Koering currently sits on the Evergreen Cemetery Association of Brainerd and is the president and newsletter editor of the Pelican Lakes Association. Under her leadership, the lake association was one of the first recipients of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center’s Research Partnership Award. She supported the research center’s copper control study by providing her family beach as a study site.
Koering collaborated with the lake association on the recently released book, “Like on the Lakes: A History of the Pelican Lakes in Crow Wing County.”
BY ALYSON LEVIG
Over the past few years, the Brainerd School District has dealt with remodeling upgrades to benefit its students. The Lincoln Education Center, which is now housed in the remodeled South Campus building at the high school, was one such project that celebrated a dedication ceremony last November.
The center serves as a separate education site that provides special education services to young adults who have already graduated high school. These services “empower students to develop the life skills needed to become independent contributing members of society,” a mission statement that rings true for 20-year-old, Maddy White.
White was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy shortly after birth because of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, a prenatal condition in which twins share unequal amounts of the placenta’s blood supply resulting in the two fetuses growing at different rates. At the time, the White family lived in Lakeville.
One resource available to them when Maddy was of age was the Miracle League baseball team, a program she was involved in for 12 years.
However, when the family decided to move to Crosslake after Maddy graduated high school, Maddy’s parents had to rediscover area resources that would provide Maddy with the continued education and skills she’d need. That search landed them at the Lincoln Education Center, where Maddy was soon enrolled in the ATLAS (Area Transition Learning and Skills) program.
“The entire team there consists of wonderful, patient people,” Maddy’s father, Derick White, said. “And the program really sets its students up for success as adults.”
This is because of the various resource connections through the ATLAS program, with one of them being the Vocational Rehabilitation Service, a Minnesota State program, where students are assigned a job coach to help them develop on-the-job skills, work with area establishments to help locate a right-fitting job, and provide transportation to and from work.
Kati Reynolds, Maddy’s ATLAS program teacher, steered the White Family in this direction and connected them with Heather, who was assigned as Maddy’s job coach. Heather then encouraged Maddy in applying and gaining a job at Ace Hardware in Crosslake, where she worked for a year. Now, Maddy works at Andy’s Bar and Grill in Crosslake, bussing tables and
filling salt and pepper shakers.
“Everyone within the ATLAS program truly cares and engages with all the students enrolled in the program,” Derick said.
Not only did Kati connect Maddy to the Vocational Rehab service but also helped Maddy with community participation, job site skills for after graduation, and home and daily living skills. From this, Maddy learned how to engage in job site opportunities, which ultimately set her up for success at Vocational Rehab as well as how to cook independently and coordinate planning and shopping.
“I think learning how to cook might be Maddy’s favorite part of the Lincoln Education Center,” Derick said.
“Because of the newfound independence that came with it — she loves it.”
As Maddy turns 21 next year, she will also graduate from the ATLAS program, taking the skills she’s learned and applying them permanently in her life. Over the next few years, Maddy hopes to continue working at Andy’s Bar and Grill as well as play in the Minnesota Wild Special Hockey League which was also introduced to her through the ATLAS program.
“Overall, the Lincoln Education Center helped Maddy feel like a true adult,” Derick said, “which we will be forever thankful for.”
BY SHEILA HELMBERGER
It can be pretty exciting to own one of the most popular dining places in a busy community. When you own three of them, life gets even more exciting.
Chris graduated from Brainerd High School in 2002 and went on to graduate from Mankato State University. When he got his diploma, he said it was time to start looking for a job. His wife, who he was dating at the time, found one at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center after her graduation, and Chris found himself making a move back to the area he grew up in.
He went to work at Madden’s, where he worked during high school and college breaks, working in guest services and as an assistant manager.
Chris says he was like a lot of people who think about owning their own business someday, but the opportunity to buy Ernie’s kind of fell in their laps.
“We really came from an entrepreneurship kind of family,” he says of going into business at a young age. Chris and Mike’s parents, Steve and Julie Foy own S. Thomas & Associates Estate Sales and Design Consign in Brainerd, with their younger brother, Matt.
“I was 27 years old at the time, kind of young to buy a restaurant and bar,” Chris said. But when they heard Ernie’s might be available, the two met with the previous owners and decided to buy it.
“That first day we were just tossed into the mix. I learned quickly how to work in a kitchen on day one. They were probably betting money against us here,” Chris says. “I’d worked in hospitality, but we didn’t have food service experience. We learned on the fly.
“Then came the crazy part,” he laughed. “We’re buying a restaurant and it’s on a lake. Most of its sales come in the summer and it’s August first. We’re heading into the slow time. That winter was interesting,” Chris said. The Foys started to remodel the popular lake spot a little at a time.
Five years ago, the Foys decided to start Main Street Ale House. When an acquaintance was interested in developing a corner spot in Nisswa, he asked the brothers to be a part of it. “He developed it and built the shell, and we were responsible for the interior and the rest,” he said. They leased it from him for the first two years and two years ago they purchased the bar and grill.
Oh, we’re always looking for opportunities. If we find something that fits what we do, and what we know how to do, never say never.
- Chris Foy
“We don’t rule from the top,” Chris said, of their business style. “We operate alongside of our employees. I like to say they’re the ones on the front lines. They see the customers, and we take a lot of input from them.”
While Chris operates Ernie’s for the most part and Mike is in charge of Main Street, the two make all of the big decisions for their properti es together. “We decided to divide and conquer a little bit so we’re not tripping over each other,” he said.
Three years ago, the two decided to branch out even further. Mike was friends with the former owner of Boomer’s Pizza and when he wanted to sell, they decided to purchase it, too, and rebrand the pizza place. They knew right away what they wanted to call it. On a trip to Ireland with their wives a few years previous, Chris says they ate at pizza place called Dough Bros. “We met the owners and told them we liked the name. When we decided to buy Boomer’s we knew that’s what we should call it.”
“Oh, we’re always looking for opportunities,” says Chris of the possibility of expanding even further. “If we find something that fits what we do, and what we know how to do, never say never.”
Mike, who graduated from BHS in 1998 lived in the Twin Cities and managed a food service company for 20 years before moving back to Brainerd four years ago. Chris says they enjoy living back in their hometown area.
“This community has obviously been great to us. We like to give back as much as we can,” Chris said.
That first day we were just tossed into the mix. I learned quickly how to work in a kitchen on day one. They were probably betting money against us here.
- Chris Foy
As part of Gull Lake Promotions, a group made up of business owners on Gull Lake that work together to raise money for the community, they host annual Oktoberfest events and the Gull Lake Frozen Fore and the Frozen Flop, similar to the Polar Plunge. Proceeds are donated to Camp Confidence and the Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes.
The Foys also donate to the Brainerd Public Schools Foundation, various fundraisers for the schools and Fishing Has No Boundaries.
Chris and his wife, Anne Marie, have two children, Ashlyn and Connor. Mike and Miranda are parents to middle schoolers Brenna and Blake. Chris says it is “kind of cool” to see their children go to the same school where he and his brother did.
“This is a great place to raise a family,” says Chris of the Brainerd lakes area. “There’s a reason people save up all year to spend one week here. Sometimes we lose sight of that, but I don’t know anywhere else I’d rather be.”
BY SUE SMITH-GRIER
High school is just the beginning for many youths seeking well-paying jobs or careers. The foundation provided by secondary education often leads to the exploration of what can become exciting opportunities in the future. The field of welding is a prime example. Learning to weld opens doors to all types of opportunities including professional and artistic endeavors.
Instructor Curtis Brisk can attest to this fact. Brisk is also the Applied Technology instructor at Brainerd High School and an assistant football and wrestling coach. Teaching classes of 25-28 young people about the intricacies of welding keeps him on his toes. Brisk teaches four levels of welding and for those who stay with the entire series of classes, opportunities for jobs or furthering their welding education at Central Lakes College await them.
The initial class teaches students the basics of motors and metals. Students in 9th and 10th grade begin with this introductory class. Once they complete the basics they have the opportunity to join Welding One and they can move through Welding Two and Three consecutively if they wish to continue the course.
“Each level gets more and more in depth,” said Brisk. “We go over stick welding, wire feed welding, and different transfer modes of wire welding.” Stick welding is very versatile and is often used to weld metal alloys such as aluminum, copper, nickel and ferrous metals such as steel and iron. Unlike some of the other welding methods, stick welding does not require the use of a shielding gas. Because of this, stick welding can be performed outdoors and in challenging conditions such as on windy days.
He also explained the process of TIG welding, or in technical terms, gas tungsten arc welding or GTAW. This process uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to deliver a current to the welding arc. The tungsten and weld puddle are cooled and protected by an inert gas; in most cases, argon. TIG welding is most often used in pipe welding and pipelines. It is also used in sheet metal industries for thin materials or special metals such as titanium. Students can seek out careers in aerospace and aviation with this type of welding experience.
After completing these welding classes, students have an opportunity to go into the advanced class — fabrication — which is a project based class. In this class, students are provided the freedom to be creative. “So far, this year, students have made metal roses or metal flowers for Valentine’s Day. Right now they are working on making a grinder pedestal which they can take home,” Brisk said.
With each graduating class, Brisk has the pleasure of seeing some of his students continue their welding education at CLC. “I have a really good partnership with CLC and their instructors.” Brisk is a graduate of the CLC welding program himself. “On average we usually have four to seven kids that go on to the CLC welding program,” he said.
Even though welding classes are traditionally a young man’s path, Brisk has young women taking classes also. “I have about six to eight girls every semester. The girls actually pay more attention to the detail of their welds than most boys do,” Brisk explained. “It’s quite surprising how good girls can weld when they are trying to break that stigma. In years past, I’ve had a couple of girls go into welding. Not everyone decides to go to college for it. They may take this skill they learn in the class and go right into the workforce as well.”
Brisk shared he has several students who have landed jobs with local companies such as Halverson Wood Products in Pine River, Metal Works and Clow Stamping. Many students get jobs in fabrication and production.
Specialized learning opportunities such as welding classes require materials that may not be easily accessed. Brainerd High School is fortunate in that regard. There are local businesses that help contribute to the success of the program. One of the largest contributors is Clow Stamping.
Clow Stamping donates most of the scrap steel students use for their classes. “We couldn’t do anything without Clow Stamping and other local businesses that help us,” explained Brisk. “They are a huge sponsor of our program.”
From Wielding the Ball to Welding with Students
Brisk first became interested in welding when he was in high school. He liked working with aluminum and decided he would take that career path. His destiny changed when he received a football scholarship and was told academically he could major in business or teaching. He chose teaching. Fortunately, he did not have to abandon his dream of welding. Since becoming a welding teacher, he can also enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Students have an opportunity to learn important soft skills through welding. “The first thing I think of is time management. Welding offers students a chance to learn time management,” Brisk said.
Self-advocacy is another one. If a student is struggling with a weld, they learn to advocate for getting help. Another thing would be communication. They are able to talk about a weld with their instructor. This is a big thing because they are able to communicate to their instructor how they can improve a weld.
When asked what he likes most about teaching, Brisk shared, “I like the students. The students are the main thing I really enjoy about my class. Most of my students, when they start the class, they’ve never welded and some of them go on to get jobs. Seeing that and their success is what I enjoy the most.”
BY SUE STERLING
What makes one school stand out amongst so many others? Is it money? No. Is it teachers with lots of abbreviations behind their name? No. Having high IQ students? No. It’s the three Cs: Caring, Collaboration and Communicating.
When students walk into Lowell Elementary they know it’s where they belong, where they will find acceptance, encouragement and something exciting and new to learn or experience.
That is why Lowell Elementary is a Blue Ribbon winner for the third time.The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing achievement gaps. All schools are recognized in one of two performance categories based on all student scores, subgroup scores and graduation rates. Lowell Elementary won this award in 2005, 2014 and 2022, and they win it because they work as a team, collaborating to make sure each student knows they can find success and always rallying together for the best outcome of each student.
Principal Kathy Johnson feels privileged to work alongside teachers who have carried on the vision of Todd Sauer, who recently retired. She feels their culture
of learning, teaming up and tackling issues together is what makes Lowell such a great place to work. Brainerd is her hometown and she has taught there for many years. Her own passion for learning carries on the culture of lifelong learning, encouraging the teachers and students to never be afraid to try. They attribute the success to:
• Caring about each and every child by everyone rowing in the same direction to attain the goal of building up each child emotionally and mentally, as well as academically, to make them the best person they can be, and to impress on them that they can be successful;
• Collaboration, within the school, and with the parents, and the community as well;
• Constant communication between staff, students, and parents sets the bar for building the best learning environment.
The teachers and staff at Lowell School have worked really hard to build a culture of lifelong learning. They try new things and they push each other to be their best. It’s a whole staff of everyone working together and finding the resources needed to help the kids learn and grow. This is a team effort and the parents are part of that team, coming together to build a toolbox of knowledge that supports the kids and the culture that continues to grow there.
From the superintendent on down, there is a tradition of leadership in the Brainerd School District, giving the staff the ability to grow and become leaders in their own right. There are a lot of leaders in Lowell, and they see themselves as part of a whole. They have moved away from an older style of teaching that finds problems. Instead they work on what is next for each student and push them to the next piece because there’s something more to be learned and discovered.
In other words, they are always in the solving mode. If a student isn’t making the progress hoped for, they rally together and think about what they could do that would be more impactful for that student. They look at what they can do to accelerate the learning in different ways to help them be successful.
Lowell is a school where they care about the social and emotional well-being, as well as academics. They will continue to challenge and support the students whatever their needs are. People say when they come into the building, “It just feels different. There’s a family spirit here.” They can sense the whole kid is being cared for.
Like all schools in this district, the teachers care deeply about the kids and are always growing their own learning skills to be the best teachers they can be for their students.
Principal Kathy Johnson is set to continue the collaboration at Lowell School. She has high expectations for herself, the students, and the staff, which has been key to the level of success Lowell has been recognized for with the Blue Ribbon achievements. Brainerd School District has amazing staff, which provides great opportunities for growth and success. Lowell School is proud to be a part of a district which focuses on supporting the whole child in all areas of need.
BY SHEILA HELMBERGER
Six years ago, John Erickson was preparing for his 50th class reunion and was in the Washington Educational Services Building (formerly known as Washington School) walking with the Director of Buildings and Grounds when he noticed a long-neglected display case set up high.
John, once the photographer/editor/editor-in-chief through his years at Brainerd High School and now a retired attorney, reached out to the then Brainerd School District Business Services Director Steve Lund. John inquired about taking out the items in the cases and refreshing them. Steve responded a couple of days later, not only approving the request, but also asking John if he would like to be the first archivist of Brainerd Public Schools.
The rest is history.
John wasted no time settling into this volunteer position of gathering pieces on the school district’s history. Given space and more space within the schools for storage and research, teachers and students (both current and past) began to give John items of interest, including items that would just randomly show up on his desk. John would then dig into the history of the item, tracking origin, year and coming up with each piece’s story.
History is made every day. And it is lost every day. People are cleaning things up and throwing things out. Every day that passes we are losing artifacts. An artifact is like opening yourself up to another world.
John Erickson
John worked with an archivist at St. Cloud State University to learn how to be an archivist and spent quality time learning from Sue Duda at the Crow Wing County Historical Society. For the past six years, John has worked to collect the items that tell the story of our schools’ history.
The planning of the 150th anniversary exhibition currently being displayed at the Brainerd High School is a series of phases, which began last year as John and the team began to envision what this could look like. With eight display cases, each phase of this project has been carefully thought out. Space is a major factor in what can be displayed. While some items speak for themselves, others require a name plate of information.
For the Brainerd High School’s sesquicentennial anniversary, John has worked with a team of volunteers which include Wendy Strobel Morreim, Sheryl Vandenberghe, Cassondra Cooper, Cadence Porisch and Mary Gottsch.
Their mission is to protect and preserve the history of BPS, its students, graduates, teachers and staff through the collection and display of BPS related artifacts; to make available to the public those artifacts consistent with best
archival practices; to foster community and student interest in BPS student, graduate, teacher, staff and institutional history as a valuable, critical aspect of life; and to support the missions of BPS in serving its students and community.
Throughout the process of building the exhibit, they have divided the project into three phases, each filling the eight display cases at the Brainerd High School. The collections will have everything from the historically significant to the quirky. John said, “You will have a chance to see incredible pictures, art, sports memorabilia, awards, newspaper articles, unique inscribed pencils, lost socks, calculators, glasses and more. As many of our schools have gone through construction, you would be surprised by the archaeological dig that shows up behind lockers when they are removed, and walls as they are taken down. The recent construction at Washington School has provided many unique finds.”
John’s role as well as his team’s, falls into the categories of curator, archivist and historian. A curator sorts through the items, looking for what is beneficial. An archivist maintains and preserves the archives. A historian interprets the artifacts.
Along with offering a greater opportunity for a meaningful education, this new school challenges us with greater responsibility. Part of this responsibility is to realize that school is for the students, and that they are the ones who must continuously strive to make it “the best”. It is not for the administration, for the faculty, or for anybody else, but is there to make administrators, educators, and worthwhile citizens out of us. As students of this High School, we accept this responsibility with pride, gratitude, and enthusiasm. We thank you for it.
“History is made every day,” John stated. “And it is lost every day. People are cleaning things up and throwing things out. Every day that passes we are losing artifacts. An artifact is like opening yourself up to another world.”
In reflection, John said, “It is somewhat ironic that that is where the initial conversation I had with the director while walking through Washington School led to me becoming “the historian” and collecting arcane parts of BPS history like the Governor Benson visit. I met two years earlier, a future governor of Minnesota, C. Elmer Anderson, was scheduled to graduate from the first Washington High School when it burned down. What I regard to be an important part of what I have done as BPS archivist is to create the Governor C. Elmer Anderson Leadership Center at the most recent iteration of Brainerd High School, the Center housing riveting stories of leadership in a wide variety of the walks of life by BPS students over the 150 years of BPS.
Currently, John spends about 40 hours a week on research and recovery of items — among these collected items John speaks of a large quantity of discarded children’s books he has collected over the years, as well as more pencils than a person could use in a lifetime. While John will be the first to tell you he is not a history major, going by the title of Archivist Curator, he admits to enjoying the
creative piece — of finding something unique and then finding its story. His background as an attorney has given him the gift of exploring and looking at angles of diverse stories.
“There is a remarkable association between people, and places, and things,” John said.
John said yes to Steve Lund. He made a commitment and he is keeping it. “If you have the abilities and don’t use those abilities, that is a tragedy,” he said.
As to date, there are no other K-12 organized archives in Minnesota at this scale.
Volunteers are always welcome. If you have an interest in knowing more about what John does, and possibly being a part of archiving the Brainerd Public School history, email him at bps.history@isd181.org. There is also current information on the exhibition as well as other historical information on our local schools on the Brainerd Public Schools’ website isd181.org and on the Brainerd Public Schools Archives Facebook page.
The Exhibition is set up in three phases:
Phase 1: Displayed through March
Phase 2: March - August
Phase 3: September - December
Days and times that the Exhibition will be open to the public will be soon available through Community Education and by visiting the Brainerd Public Schools Archives Facebook Page.
