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TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016 VOL. 34 NO. 37 www.presspubs.com $1.00
MEMORIAL DAY: Ceremony honors vets PAGE 11
Andrew Zimmern tells of his struggle with drugs and alcohol
Centennial High School Class of 2016
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM STAFF WRITER
LINO LAKES — For around 18 years, Andrew Zimmern struggled with alcohol and drugs. He has now been sober for around 25 years and visited the Pines School in Lino Lakes on May 26 to talk about his struggles and recovery and to inspire some young people to ask for help. Zimmern is an TV personality, chef, food writer and teacher, and is the co-producer of the Travel Channel's series “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern,” “Bizzare Foods America” and “Andrew Zimmern's Bizzare World.” He also hosts “Dining with Death” and is a three-time James Beard Foundation Award winner. “My greatest hope whenever I give these talks is that one person there goes and actually talks to someone who can help them in a real and meaningful way,” he said. “That someone who is on the fence, who has kind of lost that bit of stubborn ego that prevents them from taking advantage of a resource, actually walks up to a teacher, volunteer, someone at their YMCA group, or a caregiver who they are exposed to over the weekend and says ‘I am struggling with this, it is just eating me alive,’ whatever that is.” Zimmern presented his talk to around 80 youth from the Pines School Day Program, Nonsecure Program and the Alternative Learning Center. He typically gives around 10-20 presentations to schools each year and said he would give them every day if he could, but due to his extensive travel schedule he is not able to do so. “What could possibly be more important than talking to a group of young people who are struggling with some aspect of their life? What better way to spend your hour is there? I actually can't think of one,” he said. “For some people, service work is fun; for some people, it is a way to have a better life. I have been public about my struggle with drugs and alcohol. This puts one more bit of space between me and the life I don't want to go back to.” Zimmern, who currently resides in Edina with his wife, is originally from New York City and described his upbringing as “very normal and average.” But it all changed at the age of 13. Zimmern went away to a summer camp and he returned home to find out his mother would never be the same. She went into the hospital to get a routine procedure done to cover up a scar and, due to complications, spent a year in a coma and lost one-third of her brain cells. “She was never the same,” he said. It was after that, Zimmern said, that his mind started telling him things that weren't accurate. “He (Zimmern’s father) said, ‘Let’s stay strong together,’ I heard, ‘Shut up and don't tell anybody about it.’ He said, ‘We are going to get through this SEE ANDREW ZIMMERN, PAGE 11
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Ms. Julie Enwright directs Centennial High School Concert Choir members in a rendition of “For Good” from the musical Wicked during the commencement exercises for the Class of 2016 Saturday, June 4 at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. Find more graduation photos on page 2.
Mentor program provides positive role models for at-risk youth BY SHANNON GRANHOLM STAFF WRITER
CIRCLE PINES — For the past 15 years the mentor program at Golden Lake Elementary School has aimed to not only make a difference in the lives of at-risk students, but also to take their mind off of issues that might be going on outside of school. At-risk students can mean a variety of things, including students who have moved a lot, have low self-esteem or family issues going on at home. Terri Klebe, a paraprofessional who manages the program, said over one-quarter of the student population at Golden Lake Elementary is considered at risk. The program, which originally started out as 10 high school student mentors from the National Honor Society (NHS), has now grown to around 130 high school mentors as well as approximately 10 mentors from
SHANNON GRANHOLM | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Sgt. Bill Jacobson with the Centennial Lakes Police Department puts on a pizza party for his mentee Gavin and his class on May 27.
the community. “The purpose is to meet other needs in their lives so they are able to learn better in the classroom, because when they have issues going on at home and in other places it is hard for them
g ancin w n i F “0% e on Ne bl Availa ipment” Equ
to come ready to do school,” Klebe said. “Our goal is to have them do well in school in all aspects and to make them feel like they are cared about.” SEE MENTOR PROGRAM, PAGE 10
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