Rugby

Sue Sitter/PCT

Bonnie Berginski stands at the counter of her business, Rockin’ Relics Cafe in Rugby.

RUGBY Tying the ends together

By SUE SITTER Staff Writer ssitter@thepiercecountytribune.com

An invisible force brings the arts to Rugby residents, keeps things at the local pool running smoothly, serves up food at Rockin’ Relics Cafe and makes a difference in the lives of people with disabilities.

That force is Bonnie Berginski.

With her typical modesty, Berginski often shrugs at the mention of the roles she plays in her community.

“I prefer to stay behind the scenes, I guess,” Berginski says.

As president of Village Arts, Berginski says she “ties the ends together - soliciting volunteers, rounding them up and spreading the word about what we have to offer.”

At the Rugby Swimming Pool, Berginski teaches lessons, manages staff and makes sure the pool is well maintained. In July, she gave Rugby City Council members a tour of the pool building, pointing ouy areas that needed replacing and repairs.

When she took a rare day off that month due of illness, her staff of teens and young adults kept lessons going in the pool and watched as lifeguards during free swim times. Berginski had trained them well.

After returning to work, Berginski took a brief break to talk, her hair still wet from teaching lessons.

Berginski described her approach to managing the pool and her business, Rockin’ Relics Cafe.

“I try to be helpful,” Berginski said. “I try to think ‘If I were doing this, what would I need? What would I need help doing?’ So, if I could help somebody else out, I do. When I’m asking for help at any job, I never ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t do myself.”

“I’ve been swimming since I was a kid,” Berginski added. “We lived at the pool when we were kids and I always thought it was important and fun to take my kids and daycare kids swimming,” Berginski, mom to four young adults said. “I had a daycare and took my kids swimming at the pool and lake, but being at the pool was a big part of their time in the summer. I think a majority of my daycare kids learned to swim with me, either through lessons or just by playing.”

“Probably about 10 years ago I got my water safety instructor (WSI) certification,” Berginski added. “I used to do aquasize classes and after doing aquasize classes, I decided it would be better to get my lifeguard certification, so I decided to do that. Then, after getting my lifeguard certification, I started doing swimming lessons.” After passing her WSI, Berginski said, “I got kind of hooked into it.”

“I became a pool manager around that time. I needed