Teacher of the year

Larissa Hall, a special education teacher at Centennial Elementary School, has received the Arc of Bismarck's Teacher of the Year Award for demonstrating excellence in teaching students with disabilities. Hall has taught at the school for five years.

In her letter of recommendation, fellow special education teacher Sheila Blotsky said this about Larissa: "Miss Hall does not just work 8-4. She devotes many extra hours a week ensuring her students are able to access the classroom curriculum in a meaningful way. She uses the latest technologies to maximize student learning. Miss Hall serves as an advocate to individuals with disabilities and educates individuals to become their own advocate. One project she is involved in annually is the Great American Bike Race for Cerebral Palsy and related disabilities."

NDSU Harvest Bowl

The North Dakota State University Harvest Bowl program recognizes the success, dedication and hard work of outstanding agriculturists in 53 counties in North Dakota and several in Minnesota.

As the state's land-grant university, NDSU plays a major role in contributing knowledge through research, academic programs and the Extension Service. More than 1,800 agriculturists have been recognized and more than $80,000 in scholarships have been awarded to NDSU student athletes with agricultural backgrounds.

NDSU Harvest Bowl Honorees include: Adams County - Terry and Barbara West, Hettinger; Billings County - Ken and Beverly Ridl, Belfield; Bowman County - Bruce and Connie Freitag, Scranton; Burleigh County - James Schmidt, Menoken; Dickey County - Joel and Betty Hamar, Ellendale; Dunn County - Todd and Patti Jo Hall, Killdeer; Emmons County - Andrew and Kristen Vetter, Linton; Fort Berthold - Casey and Kami Fredericks, Halliday; Golden Valley County - Troy and Joanne Tescher, Beach; Grant County - Daniel and Jackie Stewart, Carson; Hettinger County - Jon and Sheri Wert, New England; Kidder County - Gary and Geri Aichele, Steele; Logan County - Warren and Linda Zenker, Gackle; McHenry County - Jason and Darcy Scheile, Balfour; McIntosh County - Barry and Shelly Knoll, Ashley; McKenzie County - Richard and Nancy Wisness, Watford City; McLean County - Corey and Cyndie Behles, Garrison; Mercer County - Kim and Laurie Entze, Golden Valley; Morton County - Jackie and Sam Buckley, Mandan; Mountrail County - Duane and Sharen Estvold, New Town; Oliver County - Kent and Debbie Albers, Center; Sheridan County - Randy and Deborah Miller, Denhoff; Sioux County - Joe and Cindy Dunn, Fort Yates; Slope County - Cary and Margie Hande, Amidon; Stark County - Rolland and Tama Baumgarten, Belfield; Stutsman County - Keith and Julie Trautman, Cleveland; Ward County - Mark and Colleen Birdsall, Berthold; Wells County - Terry and Wanda Weckerly, Hurdsfield; and Williams County - John and Kathy Hovde, Epping.

Grants awarded

North Dakota's history agency has awarded more than $307,000 in Cultural Heritage Grants for the coming year to 40 eligible organizations throughout the state. A total of 56 organizations from all areas of North Dakota applied for the grants from the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

The following are those area organizations awarded grants, the amounts they received and a brief description of their project:

Bowman County Historical Society, Bowman - Bowman Pioneer Trails Museum heating system, $18,500;

City of Tuttle - Works Project Administration (WPA) Public Office Building rehabilitation, $10,000;

Dakota Buttes Visitors Council, Hettinger - The Last Great Buffalo Hunt Project, $4,400;

Ellendale Historical Society - Coleman Memorial Museum Records Collections Project, $2,475;

The Enchanted Highway - Lampl Historical Homestead Rehabilitation, $10,000;

Flickertail Village and Museum, Stanley - Roof replacement of six Flickertail Village and Museum Buildings, $10,750;

Glen Ullin Museum - Glen Ullin Museum Building addition, $5,850;

Hiddenwood Old Settlers Association, Ryder - Hiddenwood Old Settlers Chapel preservation, $2,124;

Makoti Threshers Association - Spring Valley Lutheran Church Preservation, $12,000;

Mandan Historical Society - Photo Archives, $1,500;

Manfred History and Preservation, Inc. - Melby Rogness House Exhibit, $5,171;

McIntosh County Commission, Ashley - McIntosh County Historical Society Museum furnace replacement, $3,526;

Mercer County Historical Society, Beulah - Light fixture replacement and archival supplies purchase, $6,795;

Mott Gallery of History and Arts - Gutter, roof and window weatherization, $3,472;

OPERA, Inc., Ellendale - Opera House Kitchen/Green Room Storage Rehabilitation, $5,000;

Rural Vestige Alliance, Manfred - Manfred School and Rogne, Soderback, and Solheim House Reroof Project, $8,170; and

Wells County Historical Society, Fessenden - Photo Archives and Exhibit Project, $1,000.

Money raised

More than 8,500 Alzheimer's Champions from Minnesota and North Dakota were on the move to end Alzheimer's disease at the 13 Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk this past September and October. Champions raised more than $888,000 to fund Alzheimer's care, support and research.

Members wanted

The 82nd Airborne Division will be holding regular meetings, annual picnics, dinner-dances, mini-reunions, an annual National Convention, local parades and sponsoring school programs on Airborne History. Their membership has veterans from the 11th, 13th, 17th, 82nd, 101st and today's special forces.

For complete details on events and membership contact Airborne 2010, 5459 Northcutt Place, Dayton, Ohio 45414; or contact Shirley R. Gossett, National Membership Chairman, by e-mail, srgabn@aol.com or by phone, 937-898-5977.

Reunion announced

The USS Tarawa CV-40 and LHA-1 Veterans Association is looking for mates and announcing their 21st annual reunion in Philadelphia, April 15-18.

For more information, contact Cliff Gardner, President, 465 Gardiner, Lot 35, West Kingston, R.I. 02892, 401-539-1149 or cliffordgardner.1@verizon.net; or Walter Tothero, Membership/Treasurer, 106 N. Tranquil Trail, Crawfordsville, Ind. 47933, 765-362-6937 or walsue@accelplus.net.

Director appointed

The director of the Dakota Nursing Program was appointed recently by the National League for Nursing to serve as an NLN ambassador. Julie Traynor, MS, RN, will help keep faculty and administration informed about NLN initiatives, grant opportunities, conferences, publications and other benefits available to NLN members.

Traynor has more than 25 years of experience in nursing. Her background in acute care is in the critical care area. She has worked in nursing education for 10 years, the past three years as director of the Dakota Nursing Program. She leads the program's partner colleges at Bismarck State College, Dakota College at Bottineau, Fort Berthold Community College, Lake Region State College and Williston State College. Traynor is based at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake.

New ambassadors are appointed twice a year to meet the goal of having one NLN Ambassador in every school of nursing to facilitate communication between the NLN and nurse educators. The National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education offering faculty development, networking opportunities, testing and assessment, nursing research grants and public policy initiatives to its 28,000 individual and over 1,100 institutional members.

Awards given

The North Dakota Library Association recognized several individuals at its recent Annual Conference and Awards Banquet.

Jan Wysocki, retired director of the MSU-Bottineau Library (now Dakota College at Bottineau), was honored as the 2009 Librarian of the Year Award. Wysocki served as the Library Director for 22 years. She planned and implemented two new library building projects - the Bottineau County Library and the MSU-Bottineau Library. She served on the North Dakota State Library Coordinating Council for three years. During her career, she received several staff recognition awards.

The 2009 Benefactor of the Year Award was presented to Mike and Kaye Kelley of Dickinson. Mike continues to serve on the Library Board, and Kaye is on the Friends of the Library Board. They supported the Summer Reading program for nearly 30 years and, in 1994, they made a large donation to help pay off the balance on the bookmobile. Mike currently serves on the Dickinson Area Public Library Foundation Board, which has gathered pledges totaling over $130,000 for a new building. In 2009, the Kelleys donated money toward a new bookmobile.

NDLA also recognized long-time members at the awards banquet, including Iris Swedlund for 40 years of membership; Jennifer Jones, Cynthia Larson, Donna Maston and Paulette Nelson for 30 years; and Joan Erickson, Jeanne Narum, Janet Rex and Konnie Wightman for 20 years.

Board elected

The North Dakota Library Association elected its 2009-2010 Executive Board.

Officers include Rita Ennen, Dickinson State University, president-elect; and Chandra Hirning, Rasmussen College, Bismarck, secretary.

Other new board members include: Alfred Peterson, North Dakota State Library, Bismarck; Naomi Frantes, State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck; Travis Schulz, Medcenter One Health Sciences Library, Bismarck; Sarah Devereaux, Bismarck Public Library; Beth Greff, Mandan Middle School; Elizabeth Jacobs, North Dakota State Library, Bismarck; Kirsten Baesler, Bismarck Public Schools and Morton Mandan Public Library; Christine Kujawa, Bismarck Public Library; Kelly Steckler, Morton Mandan Public Library; Marlene Anderson, Bismarck State College Library; Rachel White, State Historical Society of North Dakota; and Doris Ott, North Dakota State Library.

Cathy Langemo, with WritePlus Inc. of Bismarck, serves NDLA as executive secretary and public relations committee.