The Cambridge-Isanti School Board has agreed to enter into contract negotiations with Dr. Ray Queener to have him serve as the next superintendent of the Cambridge-Isanti School District.

Dr. Ray Queener

Dr. Queener was the unanimous choice of the Cambridge-Isanti School Board to serve as a future superintendent of schools.

The Board authorized Chair Tim Hitchings and Board Member Darcy Winsor to engage in negotiations to establish a contract following interviews May 22. Once completed, the contract will be approved at a future school board meeting.

Dr. Queener has been serving as an assistant superintendent in the Stillwater area schools for the past eight years. He is seen as a leader in strategic planning and finance, operational leadership and technology leadership. In addition he brings strong communication and collaborative skills.

“Dr Queener was very personable and very knowledgeable. He is very passionate to come here and make a difference,” said School Board Member Mark Becker. “As Dr. Queener commented, ‘Every challenge is a new opportunity to succeed.’ Dr. Queener is not afraid to make change and his personality and demeanor will be a good fit.”

In addition, School Board member Gary Hawkins explained that, “Dr. Queener was very engaged with the kids. Anyone that talked to him in the buildings thought he (Dr. Queener) was a good guy. He did not present an air about himself, but instead was letting people know how great of a place Cambridge-Isanti is and how excited he was to be here.”

Hitchings said, “Dr. Queener is an expert on financial strategic planning and he is the one who stepped up and raised his game the most during the interview.”

The board said while Dr. Queener has some extremely big shoes to fill in replacing Superintendent Bruce Novak, it feels Dr. Queener’s integrity and passion for education will continue and expand upon the legacy that Novak gave Cambridge-Isanti School District over the past eight years.

Dr. Queener is expected to begin in his role as superintendent of Cambridge-Isanti Schools July 1.

Meet Dr. Ray Queener

(Biographical information provided by School Exec Connect, who noted the comments below were provided by candidates’ references and others associated with the candidate).

This candidate is currently completing his eighth year as assistant superintendent in a large metro suburban district. His main area of supervision is in the areas of Business and Administrative services, although he has current and previous experiences in working with the academic program. He is a multi-dimensional educator who started in teaching and has served large districts in a variety of roles. He is a highly respected administrator in the district, helping keep the district moving forward through many changes. His references say that he is extremely knowledgeable in all phases of the superintendent role and has led many initiatives that involve multiple stakeholders and high visibility. He is well liked by staff and is extremely dedicated to his work and the success of the district.

Multiple references comment that he is absolutely ready for a superintendent role and has all the professional and personal characteristics that will make him successful. He works hard for students and staff and takes great pride in selling the district and its programs. His financial and human resource knowledge is unique and it serves the district and state well. This candidate has a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Minnesota, an Master of Arts from St. Mary’s University and a Doctorate in Education in education policy and Leadership from the University of Minnesota.

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The Appreciation for Life event will be the first fundraising event in Minnesota to benefit the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, according to Kendall Stasinos, of Callanan & Klein Communications Inc.

The event will be held June 1 at the Braham Elementary School, with registration at 9 a.m. The walk will begin at 10 a.m. and the run will begin at 10:15 a.m. There is a $20 registration fee to participate, with free admission for children under 12. Online registration is available up to 11 a.m. May 30. Registrations will also be accepted the day of the event.

Holly Giffrow, one of the local coordinators of the event, explained the event is being held to honor Mary Thom, who passed away Aug. 31, 2012, at the age of 41 due to a brain aneurysm, and to raise awareness about the disease.

“Mary was a caretaker,” Giffrow said. “She was always doing for others. Mary has been one of my best friends for 27 years and was like the sister I never had. She had a lot of close friends. Whether you knew her for 27 years, 10 years or even two years, she was one of those types of girls that you connected with very easily. She also was a huge family girl, having very strong bonds with her family — they truly were her world.”

Stasinos explained the Brain Aneurysm Foundation is the nation’s only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to providing critical awareness, education, support and research funding to reduce the incidence of brain aneurysms. The Brain Aneurysm Foundation, established in Boston in 1994, has become the world’s leading source of private funding of brain aneurysm research.

“The foundation’s mission is to provide support and educational materials to the medical community, the newly diagnosed, survivors, family members, friends and the general public regarding the facts, treatment options, and recovery process for brain aneurysms,” Stasinos said. “People should support the foundation because we provide support and educational materials to all regarding the facts, treatment options and recovery process for brain aneurysms.”

Thom’s parents, Paul and Sharon Nyman, said they are dealing with the loss of their daughter the best they can.

“We lost our beautiful daughter, wife and mother in August to a quiet enemy, a brain aneurysm,” the Nymans said. “We had heard of it before, but never thought it would strike our family. It took the family hero and sunshine from us.”

In 2003, Thom received her paraprofessional certification and began working at the Braham Elementary School. She later transitioned to her position as the Health Services secretary.

“During these last eight months, we have had our good times and our bad times,” the Nymans said. “Our family has had a wonderful support group. Mary’s friends from the Braham schools and her lifelong friends have all been great.”

Thom’s husband, Dave, and her daughter, Alyssa, have been surrounding themselves with family and friends.

“Alyssa has had support from her family, teachers and especially her school friends,” the Nymans said. “We have found that there has been other families in Braham that have gone through this loss as well because of this quiet enemy. We encourage everyone to come out and support the walk/run to raise awareness about this disease.”

Giffrow said Thom’s death caused her to research brain aneurysms.

“Ever since Mary passed away, I have been researching brain aneurysms, and after seeing all the events being held across the country to help bring awareness to this cause, I was inspired,” Giffrow said. “There have been so many people in our surrounding towns that have been affected by this and have suffered their own loss. I started talking to people about it, and it’s surprising how many people know someone who knows someone that this has happened to as well. It’s also important to mention the day of the event will bring some people that are survivors of brain aneurysms to also make this a celebration.”

Giffrow said besides honoring Thom, the event is about raising awareness.

“We just don’t hear people talking about aneurysms,” Giffrow said. “How can we reduce the incidence of brain aneurysm ruptures and bring critical awareness, education, and support? The Brain Aneurysm Foundation works with doctors across the country funding research that is helping them in finding procedures for early detection of brain aneurysm.”

Giffrow would like to extend an appreciation to her fellow committee members Julie Giffrow, Karie Nordby, Sarah Peterson, Sarah Ruther and Laura Constenius for their efforts.

“This is a public event and we welcome anyone to attend,” Stasinos said. “Brain aneurysms go undetected too often, so we are encouraging people to come out and support those who have been affected and to become educated on signs and symptoms of brain aneurysms.”

For more information about the Brain Aneurysm Foundation visit www.bafound.org.

To register for the June 1 event, visit http://bafound.donorpages.com/AppreciationforLife/ or email Holly Giffrow at giffrowbos@q.com

Understanding: Brain Aneurysm Statistics and Facts

• An estimated 6 million people in the United States have an unruptured brain aneurysm, or 1 in 50 people.

• The annual rate of rupture is approximately eight per 100,000 people. About 30,000 people in the United States suffer a brain aneurysm rupture.

• There is a brain aneurysm rupturing every 18 minutes.

• Ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in about 40 percent of cases. Of those who survive, about 66 percent suffer some permanent neurological deficit.

• Approximately 15 percent of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage die before reaching the hospital. Most of the deaths from subarachnoid hemorrhage are due to rapid and massive brain injury from the initial bleeding which is not correctable by medical and surgical interventions.

• Four out of seven people who recover from a ruptured brain aneurysm will have disabilities.

• Brain aneurysms are most prevalent in people ages 35 to 60, but can occur in children as well.

• The median age when aneurysmal hemorrhagic stroke occurs is 50 years old and there are typically no warning signs. Most aneurysms develop after the age of 40.

• There are almost 500,000 deaths worldwide each year caused by brain aneurysms and half the victims are younger than 50.

Understanding: Warning signs and symptoms

Unruptured brain aneurysms are typically completely asymptomatic. These aneurysms are typically small in size, usually less than one half inch in diameter. However, large unruptured aneurysms can occasionally press on the brain or the nerves stemming out of the brain and may result in various neurological symptoms.

Any individual experiencing some or all of the following symptoms, regardless of age, should undergo immediate and careful evaluation by a physician.

• Localized headache

• Dilated pupils

• Blurred or double vision

• Pain above and behind eye

• Weakness and numbness

• Difficulty speaking

Information provided by the  Brain Aneurysm Foundation

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The Isanti Police Department responded to a report of a pedestrian struck by a north bound Burlington Northern Sante Fe train within the city of Isanti. The incident occurred approximately 1,000 feet south of Main Street.

Train employees observed something laying between the rails and performed an emergency stop procedure. The train did pass over the object between the rails, which was a person, identified as Chad Rolstad of Isanti.

Officers from Isanti Police Department initially responded and rendered medical care to Rolstad along with the Isanti Fire District. Medical helicopters were not able to fly due to weather, so Rolstad was transported via Allina Ambulance to Mercy Hospital and is listed in critical condition.

“Everyone needs to only cross tracks at proper intersections and never walk, sit or lay down on the tracks,” reminded Isanti Mayor George Wimmer.

Assisting the Isanti Police Department were the Isanti Fire District, Minnesota State Patrol, Isanti County Sheriff’s Office, Allina Ambulance, BNSF Police Department and Cambridge Police Department.

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Steven Louis Lang Jr. appeared before Judge Robert Rancourt May 15 in Isanti County District Court, where he was charged with two counts of felony second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Lang meets the definition of ‘significant relationship’ to the victim who was under the age of 16.

According to the charges, the sexual contact occurred from approximately Jan. 1, 2007, through May 13, 2013.

Rancourt set bail for Lang at $75,000 without conditions or $50,000 with conditions, and his next court appearance is set for May 29.

According to the criminal complaint

On May 13, detective Vern Johnson with the Cambridge Police Department met with the minor victim who informed him she had been sexually abused by Lang for many years.

The victim said Lang began his behavior by kissing her on the lips, with the kisses eventually getting longer. Lang would also feel the victim in inappropriate places and also make the victim touch him in inappropriate places.

The victim said Lang would offer her money or video games in exchange for the sexual encounters.

When Johnson met with Lang, he admitted to touching the victim but indicated he did not touch her under her clothes. He did admit what took place may have been inappropriate. Lang said he was trying to “take the place of what was missing in my life.”

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Isanti County Beyond the Yellow Ribbon was honored at the May 14 Minnesota Twins game. Pictured, from left, are Gail Genin, Jim Rostberg, Susan Morris and Bob Boone.

The Isanti County Beyond the Yellow Ribbon was and honored at the May 14 Minnesota Twins game.

Below is the script that was read as the group stood at home plate and were introduced.

“Please direct your attention to home plate. The Minnesota Twins are pleased to recognize our commitment to Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon is a program pioneered by the Minnesota National Guard to connect all Minnesota service members and their families with community support, services and resources.

“Throughout this season, the Twins will recognize Yellow Ribbon Networks that go above and beyond in supporting service members and their families.

“Tonight, we are recognizing Isanti County’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network. Their network was established in February 2009 and they received the Governor’s Yellow Ribbon Proclamation recognition in January 2010. Approximately 30 people are involved in their network. Something very unique to their network is they provide quilted bedrolls for all deploying service members in their county. They recently provided 150 quilts to the deployed 850th Horizontal Engineer Company.  This network has been involved in everything from home repairs to assisting in snow removal and yard cleanup.

“On the field tonight is Bob Boone, Committee Chair, Susan Morris, Committee Vice Chair, Jim Rostberg, Treasurer, Gail Genin, Fundraising Chair.

“Thank you Isanti County’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network. To learn how you can employ veterans or support military families visit BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org.”

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Bottom Row: Mikaela Kase, Miranda Olson, Mollie Laidly, Schuyler Loneman, Julia Walfoort, Kylie Baas, Kara Sundvall, Jocelyn O’Neill and Courtney Stempinski. Top Row: Brittani Terwilliger, Meghan Skiba, Erica Epsen, Becky Dowell, Morgan Scheiller, Taylor Ouellette, Shelby Swanson and Elizabeth Poppen.

The Cambridge Ambassador Program is delighted to announce the names of the 17 young women participating in this year’s Candidate Experience.

Three of these bright and enthusiastic candidates will be selected to represent the community at the annual Crowning Celebration when Ambassadors Abriel Schlenker (Spalon Elite & Chilson Jewelers), Emily Moore (Circle of Life Farms, LLC) and Jazzy Erickson (Hair Mania) will crown their successors.

This year’s production, “We Will Rock You,” will be held Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m. in the Hardy Performing Arts Center.

Returning as Mistress and Master of Ceremonies are Gena Johnston Hughes, the 2001 Winter Carnival South Wind Princess; and her brother Joe Johnston, the 2002 Minneapolis Aquatennial Commodore and 2007 President of the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization.

Advanced sale reserved seats are $10 and can be ordered through any candidate. $8 general admission tickets will be sold at the door.

The candidates (and their sponsors) are: Miranda Olson (Pine Village), Morgan Scheiller (Minnco Credit Union), Meghan Skiba (Country Pride Construction, LLC), Mollie Laidly (North Metro Saw), Schuyler Loneman (Waterstone Mortgage, Shawn and Angie Gerhardson), Julia Walfoort, (Holter Construction and 1995 Miss Cambridge Amy Anderson Ludvigson), Becky Dowell (Mark A. Pocrnich, DDS), Courtney Stempinski (Melisssa L. Hutchens, DDS PA), Kylie Baas (Cambridge Dental Center), Shelby Swanson (Village Hair), Mikaela Kase  (Advanced Telemetry Systems, Inc.), Kara Sundvall (Century 21 Moline Realty, Inc.), Brittani Terwilliger (Peoples Bank of Commerce and Caribbean Tan), Taylor Ouellette (Spalon Elite and Chilson Jewelers), Elizabeth Poppen (Cambridge Eye Associates), Jocelyn O’Neill (North Metro Saw and Peter & Associates) and Erica Epsen (Hair Mania).

The public is invited to come and “Meet the Candidates” at the annual Dessert Social, Monday, June 3 at the Armed Forces Reserve Center at 7 p.m.

The 9th annual Cambridge Ambassador Classic Golf Tournament for scholarships will be held Saturday, June 29 at the Purple Hawk Country Club.

Registration for the best-ball scramble starts at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Plaques will be awarded to the top men’s, women’s, and mixed teams.

The fun includes 18-holes of golf with a cart, individual contests at the holes, games led by the candidates at the tee boxes, prizes and raffles, and a delicious Pasta Bar lunch served up by Joe’s on Main to cap off a great day. Interested golfers, hole sponsors, or raffle donors should contact Laurie at solle@cambridge.k12.mn.us or call 612-991-1687.

The Cambridge Ambassador Program is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization empowering young women with poise, polish, and a promising future.

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For more information on mental health awareness, check out the special display board in the main lobby of the Isanti County Government Center. Photo by Jon Tatting

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Isanti County Board learned all about it, along with chemical dependency trends, during a Family Services presentation at the May 15 board meeting.

Karyn Hansen, who serves as mental health and chemical dependency supervisor for the county’s Family Services department, talked about mental health case management. Placements in residential treatment or foster care settings for children are a large part of the unit budget, she noted, as the department attempts to keep children in the family home and reduce the length of time in placement.

Adult mental health case managers also are involved in civil commitments when someone with a mental illness is determined to be a danger to themselves or others and commitment is the least restrictive alternative, Hansen explained.

In 2012, Family Services was notified of 32 people on holds and five going through the Rule 20 process for criminal charges. A team from the department recommended commitment for 25 of those individuals. So far this year, she added, there have been 10 holds, three Rule 20s and six people recommended for commitment by the team.

“2013 has been an active year,” she said.

Hansen said case management will be provided to anyone that requests, consents or is ordered by the court and is eligible for services. While adults must meet eligibility criteria for serious and persistent mental illness, children and youth must meet eligibility criteria for severe emotional disturbance.

Isanti County Family Services has four full-time staff for both adult mental health and child mental health. At present, the average case loads are 32 and 20, respectively, just above the recommended case load benchmarks of 30 and 15.

Also in 2012, of the 257 requests for services, 167 involved adult mental health and 90 for children’s mental health. Further, where 183 individuals received adult mental health services, 87 received children’s mental health services.

Chemical dependency

Hansen said each county provides chemical use assessments and funding — county, 15 percent of the cost; state, 85 percent — for treatment for eligible residents.

To qualify, a person must meet income standards, have medical assistance or no insurance. Isanti County Family Services has one full-time assessor and two others who conduct a few assessments in addition to their other duties.

Hansen talked more about the assessment process and the strict timelines for services once a request is received. Referrals are accepted for outpatient, residential or hospital-based treatment, and aftercare is often part of the plan, as well.

To date, there have been 89 assessments scheduled, though not all are actually conducted. In 2012, there were 313 people served through chemical dependency either by assessment or services, with a total of 239 assessments scheduled.

For more information on these services, check out the special display board in the main lobby of the Isanti County Government Center.

In other action, the board:

• Agreed to purchase network computer equipment to remedy the county’s property tax servers that overheated on property tax deadline day. The system was expected to be up and running later that day.

• Approved the 2013-15 labor agreement between Isanti County and MN Teamsters Local 320-Family Services.

• Awarded low bidder Sauk Rapids-based Knife River Corp. the paving contract involving stretches of various roads across the county. While the company’s bid totaled about $2.9 million, it still was around 15 percent under the engineer’s estimate of about $3.4 million. The project begins June 17, and they will have 40 working days to complete it, county highway engineer Richard Heilman said.

• Authorized responsibility to the East Central Solid Waste Commission for updating and resubmitting Solid Waste Management Plans in its behalf. State statutes authorize counties to provide for management of solid waste and requires counties to develop SWMP, which reviews the past and present solid waste management systems of the region. It also is written to provide guidance for the future.

• Approved the final plat for Jabs Country Acres.

• Designated 20 percent of the tax forfeited sale collections to be used for the acquisition and maintenance of county parks or recreation areas.

• Approved a request by Lori Kollar of Stanchfield for a conditional use permit for a crafting-based retreat center in Maple Ridge Township. The center, on more than 20 acres, will be associated with quilting, scrapbooking, stamping, card making, beading, embroidering, crocheting, painting and/or yoga and wellness. Temporary lodging is not to exceed two weeks. Kollar intends to have some outdoor activities with the retreat center, and she is requesting to have 20 overnight guests.

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City Planner Marcia Westover explained East Central Sanitation has been working on a plan to offer a yard waste facility site for residents.

Initially, the plan was to offer the composting process to take place at the business’s location at 215 Opportunity Blvd. N. After review of the requirements, East Central Sanitation has developed a new plan of operation. In the new plan, the composting process will not occur on-site.

Westover explained East Central Sanitation will clear a few trees in the wooded area between the office and recycling area and have containers/dumpsters located in the area. Residents can bring their yard waste materials to the site, where it will be stored in the dumpsters temporarily. East Central Sanitation will then bring the materials to an off-site location for the composting to occur.

If there is a demand for the composted product, East Central Sanitation is willing to bring it back from the off-site location and sell it to residents.

Westover explained the approval of the interim use permit will have the following conditions:

• The interim use permit will terminate after one year. The applicant may come back and request an extension to the interim use permit for review by the Planning Commission and City Council.

• The applicant will be paying the operating costs of the facility.

• No composting will occur on-site. Residents can bring their yard waste material to the site, where it will be stored in containers and then hauled to an off-site location for the composing process.

• The items that will be acceptable include grass, leaves and garden waste only. No brush or other materials will be acceptable.

• The yard waste materials being held in the containers will be hauled to the off-site location at a minimum of once per week.

• No outside piling of yard waste materials will be allowed.

• The composted material may be brought back to East Central Sanitation and stored in a container and available for sale to the residents if there is a demand for it.

• The following items will be addressed by the applicant during the one-year permit period:

–How much yard waste is being brought to the facility?

–Will there be future costs for residents?

–Is the site creating odor issues?

–Are nonacceptable materials being brought to the site?

–Are materials being dumped outside of the containers?

–Are there any concerns from neighboring properties?

The idea for a compost site being offered in Cambridge was brought up by Council Member Howard “Howie” Lewis in late January, when he noted he heard about the composting issue during his candidacy.

“I would like to thank you for your time on this,” Lewis told Westover. “I have had several residents talk to me about this.”

Lewis noted he would like to have a couple articles put in the city’s newsletter about this new service being offered by East Central Sanitation and an article explaining how residents can do composting in their backyard. He also said it would be a good idea to have an article in the newsletter reminding residents that East Central Sanitation will pick up bagged leaves and grass clippings on Fridays if residents call East Central Sanitation in advance.

City to solicit facility needs assessment for East Central Regional Library 

City Administrator Lynda Woulfe explained that, for several years, the Cambridge Public Library has expressed a desire for additional space and/or an update to their existing facility.

The first step in that process is to conduct a library facility needs assessment. Last year, the City Council budgeted approximately $18,000 for this assessment and these funds were carried over for use in 2013.

Woulfe said based upon her conversations with staff at the East Central Regional Library, each city is responsible for making a determination as to whether additional space is warranted for their public library. The cost for constructing new space or renovating an existing building would also be the branch city’s responsibility.

“Conducting the needs assessment does not commit the city to build a new branch; it simply defines the space needs for the branch library so the community can begin discussions on what is appropriate building space,” Woulfe said. “It is like when you are deciding how big of a house you need — you take stock of all your possessions, figure out if you are going to grow your family, decide what you are going to get rid of and look at your future needs for five, 10 and 15 years down the road.”

Following discussion, the council approved the Request For Proposals as presented and directed staff to solicit RFP responses on the League of Minnesota Cities and city of Cambridge’s websites.

Proposals will be accepted until 3 p.m. June 24. The city will review the responses with the library and then make a recommendation for an award at the July 1 or July 15 council meeting.

Woulfe noted the original library building was built in 1960 and is 4,450 square feet and an addition was added in 1974. The addition totaled 12,000 square feet. Garage space was added at a later date and totals 1,850 square feet.

The East Central Regional Library Commission headquarters occupies one-third of the space. Woulfe explained the city is seeking a consultant who will be able to identify the space needs and requirements for library space that will serve the community for the next 20 years.

In other action the council:

• Accepted a proposal from the Isanti County Attorney’s Office for prosecution services. The contract is effective June 1, 2013, through May 31, 2016. The pricing schedule will be an annual, all-inclusive billing rate of $39,502 per contract year. Services include all prosecution services, including services to victims of crime as provided in Minnesota Statute Chapter 611A. Criminal prosecution services include, but are not limited to, all petty misdemeanors and misdemeanor offenses committed within the corporate limits of the city. The Isanti County Attorney’s Office has been providing prosecution services for the city of Cambridge since June 1, 1999.

• Approved a contract for city attorney services with Rupp, Anderson, Squires and Waldspurger from Jan. 1, 2013, to Dec. 31, 2017. Effective Jan. 1, 2013, standard hourly rates will be $130 per hour for all services except developer-paid services. Paralegals and law clerks bill at $70 per hour. These rates are effective for the first year of the agreement. The parties agree to negotiate, on an annual basis, the rates for years three through five of the agreement.

• Appointed Colton Wendorf as the student representative on the Parks, Trails and Recreation Commission. Wendorf is a junior at Cambridge-Isanti High School and is involved in Model United Nations, Link Crew, Prom Committee and National Honor Society. He noted he’s an avid biker and uses the parks and trails system often in the city of Cambridge.

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Matt Derby

“The ceremony was nice because we had it outside,” said Derby, 17. “That Sunday was during the first nice weekend of spring. We had about 50 people for it.”

Derby has been involved in Scouts since starting as a Tiger Cub in Isanti. Staying active in Troop 523, he put on miles for many great experiences.

“My favorite camp would have to be Tomahawk up in Wisconsin,” Derby said. “It has a lot of land, and it’s more rustic. Our camp emphasis was a horse riding one, and they have a lot of riding area up there. Tomahawk Camp had also had a large herd of buffalo, too.”

Asked for what intrinsic skills come with Scout membership, he replied, “Probably the best thing I got out it of was leadership, really. Being in Scouts, you get a lot of leadership opportunities because a lot of the activities are boy led. Most troops nowadays have a wide span of ages in them, so that gives the older guys a chance to lead.”

Playground fence at Faith Lutheran

Derby literally stumbled on the idea for his Eagle Scout project while visiting with his Faith Lutheran Church’s new pastor, the Rev. Clifton Hanson, last summer.

“I met with the pastor outside and told him, ‘I bet I can beat you into the church.’ So I was hopping the playground fence, and I broke one of the boards,” laughed Derby as he recalled the event. “So that was the main reason I thought I should replace the fence, because I broke it. The old wood and polyester-link fence was probably put up 20-plus years ago.”

Matt Derby shores up a corner post on the Faith Lutheran playground fence, which was his Eagle Scout project last August. Helping him in the photo are his dad, Chris, and sister, Whitney.

Derby began checking out price estimates for different styles of fencing, and he worked an Eagle Scout project discount with Home Depot in Blaine after deciding on a galvanized steel fence structure with new cement footings.

The actual construction filled two weekends last August. A small group of Scouts joined the Derby family for the labor.

“The hardest part was trying to pull out the old posts,” Derby said. “There was probably about 80 pounds of concrete on each one. They were all rotted out, so when you put the chain on, the posts yanked right out. So we had to dig down about 4 feet to get the concrete out.”

The application for the Eagle Scout Award was then checked over and approved at both the state and national BSA offices.

The Faith Lutheran playground gets a good deal of use because the Heavenly Sunshine preschool is also operated at the church.

“Everybody really liked the new fencing,” Derby said. “It almost looks like a spooky church fence because it’s all black. We just thought it would match the church better than the green and brown of the old fence.”

Matt Derby works with Dale Brandt to pull out the old playground fence posts.

Last year was the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Scout Award for the BSA.

“That was my big push to get it done last year, too. Then you get a different Eagle badge that says ‘1912-2012 100th Year Anniversary’ on the outside,” finished Derby, who still has a full year to enjoy in Boy Scouts. This coming summer, he will going to Grey Wolf Camp for more youth leadership training.

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Sometimes, though, those who have valiantly served this country as part of the military rest under headstones that bear no mention of their heroic exploits, and there are even instances were there are no headstones at all to mark graves of veterans.

For those who want that military recognition for their loved ones and might not have the financial resources to make it a reality, there is an option in every Minnesota county: Contact a county veterans services officer.

In Chisago County, that man is Al Budde. In Isanti County, Jim Rostberg is the county veterans services director.

Just last week, Rostberg received a call from a man who told him his father died a few years ago, and the family didn’t have the money for a headstone to mark the grave in a private cemetery.

“It’s getting close to Memorial Day weekend, and that’s when people start thinking about these things,” Rostberg said.

Rostberg assured the man his office would be able to help him get his father the recognition he deserved.

He told the man all he needed was father’s military discharge papers, and if the man wasn’t able to find them, the veterans services office would likely be able to track them down.

“It breaks my heart when the family would like to provide a headstone and they can’t afford it for a military veteran,” Rostberg said.

When filling out a form for a headstone with the veterans services office, Rostberg noted, a family has an array of options to choose from to honor their deceased relative.

The relative’s full name can go on the headstone, along with the month, day and year of their birth, military rank and any awards received. A relatively new option to honor a veteran is a medallion that can be affixed to a headstone. 

“This is just another way for a veteran to be recognized,” Rostberg said of the medallion.

In addition to providing veterans who are laid to rest in private cemeteries headstones, Rostberg said all repairs on those headstones are covered forever, even if there’s no next of kin left in the area to request a repair.

If someone sees a veteran’s headstone that’s damaged, all it takes is a call to a veterans services office to get the headstone fixed.

To contact Jim Rostberg about veterans services related issues, call 763-689-3591 or email jim.rostberg@isanti.mn.us.

In Chisago County, call Al Budde at 651-213-5680 or email aabudde@co.chisago.mn.us.

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