Do you have a friend, relative, or former classmate that you think is worthy of being inducted into the Washburn High School Hall of Fame? If so, here’s your chance to nominate that individual(s).

Many qualified individuals have played an important role in the history of Washburn High School – athletes, coaches, musicians, authors, business professionals, and individuals from the across the community have all played a significant role in the promotion of academics, athletics, and the arts at Washburn. The Washburn Hall of Fame was formed to recognize and pay tribute to these outstanding individuals.

Nominations can be submitted at any time throughout the year.  Nominations remain on file indefinitely.  Please do not assume that someone has already been nominated, or that the Selection Committee has already received sufficient information about these individuals. The more history and facts that can be added to what may already be on file will serve to provide that additional insight that the Selection Committee may need when making their decisions.

Nomination criteria will be posted shortly and the nomination form will be available for download in early September.

For more information on the Hall of Fame, please contact the Foundation office at 612-668-3483 or by email at info@washburnconnections.org.

To see past inductees, please select one of the class years below and you’ll be taken to the list of inductees for that year!

Class of 2007

Class of 2008

Class of 2009

Class of 2010

Whether inspiring high school students to think independently, or inspiring citizens, including a future mayor, to take on powerful interests, Frank Ario left a lasting impression and was hailed Wednesday, when he died of cancer at age 86.

“He is one of my heroes,” said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who has declared Friday “Frank Ario Day.”

Rybak was an activist involved in the airport noise issue before becoming mayor and came to know Ario, who lived in south Minneapolis not far from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Ario and his wife, Georgette, became lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit to combat airport noise. The anti-noise fight developed into a campaign that led to insulation of many homes and a reduction of airplane noise.

“It was assumed there was no way to fight the unchecked noise pollution that was destroying neighborhoods across the south side of the city,” said Rybak. “Frank taught us to stand up for the places [where] we live.”

Ario was president of South Metro Airport Action Council, a group fighting the noise.

He also made a mark as a teacher. In his social studies and philosophy classes at Washburn High in Minneapolis, he encouraged spirited debates on topics such as war and civil rights, abortion and capital punishment, where he encouraged students to think independently.

When he retired in 1987 after teaching social studies for 30 years, a Star Tribune article said, “Frank Ario is a legend among students at Washburn High School.”

Len Ritter, a retired math teacher, says a lot of students wanted to get into Ario’s classes. “He got them thinking and learning,” Ritter said.

“He made it fun and he made it challenging,” recalls former student Jeff Johnson, 54

Born in Mankato in 1924, Ario was drafted into the Army in World War II. A national magazine, “America In WWII,” described how Ario saved the life of two wounded German soldiers. The Rev. Howard Bell, the associate minister at Mayflower Church, United Church of Christ, in Minneapolis, where Ario was a church leader, said it was an indication of “how deeply he believed every human life was important.”

Ario told the Star Tribune he witnessed “massive destruction … death and carnage” and felt a need to give some meaning to his life.

Joel Ario, a son, said his father first found meaning in Christianity, and then in teaching after graduating from Augsburg College.

In 1964, Frank Ario was the adviser to Washburn’s Politix Club, which wanted to hear a socialist speaker. Ario invited Mulford Q. Sibley, a professor at the University of Minnesota. In response to complaints, the principal canceled Sibley’s visit, which became front-page news. Teachers signed petitions, opposing the cancellation. Ario defended the invitation on the basis of free speech, saying: “I feel these kids are not so gullible that they are going to accept everything they hear, no matter who the speaker is.” Sibley wound up addressing about 400 students at a church.

Ario also started men’s and women’s soccer teams at the school, winning the girls’ state high school soccer championship in 1981.

In addition to his wife, Georgette, and son Joel of Hershey, Pa., Ario is survived by sons Bruce and Kevin of Minneapolis, David of St. Paul; a sister, Arlien, and six grandchildren.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Mayflower Church, 106 E. Diamond Lake Road, Minneapolis.

Randy Furst

Posted initially at www.startribune.com

Come and join us as we celebrate 15 years of good times and great fundraising! 2010 was one of the best years in Miller Open history as we raised over $7000 thanks to the ongoing tradition of Miller Pride, having fun, and a willingness to pay for it. This past year we were able to provide the baseball team with a new state of the art pitching machine, and the Athletic Department was outfitted with mobile radios to keep communications flowing during games and major events.

Click anywhere on this page to be taken to the information and registration page.

15th Annual Miller Open: THE CHAMPAGNE OF TOURNAMENTS

Friday August 5th, 2011
Theodore Wirth Golf Course

Registration Opens 11:15
Load into Carts 12:45
Shotgun Start 1:00

All Class Party at The Corner Bar Around Dusk

Registration fills quickly and is on a first come, first served basis.

We are now in position to make a long lasting donation to good ole WHS on behalf of the Miller Open,” says Doug Palbicki Current Miller Open Commissioner. “Many thanks go out to all previous committee members who keep this tradition alive.”

This year to celebrate our 15th anniversary our goal is to help provide the legendary Macquarrie Field with a brand new state of the art scoreboard when the school is ready to do so in the near future. This will allow the efforts of the Miller Open Golf Tournament to maintain a presence in the lives of the students, faculty and the Washburn community for many decades to come!

Register NOW & tell your fellow Miller Alums about the 2011 Miller Open and All Class Party. We’ll see you there!

In 2008, Malcolm Gladwell released a book calledOutliers. The book examines the factors of success, looking at the stories of everyone from Bill Gates to The Beatles. Mike Meyer is a soon to be sophomore at Washburn and an aspiring video producer. The book is one of his favorites.

Outliers might not be the top pick of your average 15-year-old. But Meyer’s not your average 15-year-old. He opts for documentaries over summer blockbusters and mentorship programs over sleeping until noon. He can’t yet legally drive, but that’s not stopping him from pursuing video gigs or trying to figure out what it will take to be the CEO of a company someday.

Meyer first started playing around with videography when he was 12, filming his friends doing “crazy stunt things.” More recently, he made a video for the Washburn lacrosse team, earned an honorable mention nod for a video in a nationwide CSPAN contest, and has been working with local company Urban World Management on projects including a documentary about families who have been impacted by incarceration.

Roberta Ryan of Urban World Management looks past Meyer’s age and at his talent.

“Mike has incredible insight and is able to capture and bring emotion with mostly every project he creates,” Ryan said.

A chance meeting with entrepreneur and executive producer Steve Gatena at a Lamborghini dealership in Los Angeles last summer (Gatena was filming a commercial; Meyer was on vacation and filming for fun) lead to a brief online internship and inspired Meyer to get more serious about making videos.

Meyer said Gatena taught him that a video should do four things: engage, entertain, inform and motivate–and that a lot of people miss motivation. Motivation is one thing, however, no one needs to remind Meyer about.

“I’ve been told countless times I need to relax and chill and enjoy my high school experience, but I really enjoy where I’m at right now and where I’m going,” Meyer said.

Meyer’s first paying gig in video production was last summer for Lake Superior Helicopters. On a visit with his dad, he brought his video camera to play around with. The next thing he knew, he was asked to film a video for the company.

Meyer’s father, Kurt Meyer, said his son has always been focused, never holding back when he discovered an interest. And though Mike’s goals may be lofty, his father doesn’t see them as out of reach.

“I don’t doubt a bit that he’ll do it all–not a bit,” Kurt Meyer said.

With no shortage of drive or confidence, Meyer’s biggest challenge is that, at 15, he’s not legally able to do some of the things it takes to run a business.

“Age is probably my biggest limitation,” Meyer said. “Not being 16 has its own limits, and then not being 18, not being 21.”

For the future, once he can drive a car by himself, vote, and buy a beer, Meyer said he may continue to pursue video production, stating an interest in becoming CEO of a video production company. Or, he said, maybe he’ll write a book. Maybe he’ll make a movie.

Sara Etzel, Meyer’s Project Lead the Way engineering teacher for his Introduction to Engineering Design class this past school year and a coach on his robotics team doesn’t doubt he’ll do something on that level.

“What he’s going to do in the future? World, watch out,” Etzel said. “He’s going to be a dynamic individual.”

In many ways, he already is. Driven by big dreams and the passion to pursue them, Meyer keeps the big picture in focus and tries to grow each day.

“Every day, with everyone I encounter, I try to learn something,” Meyer said.

Written by Ashlee Briggs Horton – July 2, 2011 – soutwestminneapolis.patch.com

As a member of the extended Washburn High School and Washburn High School Foundation family, we are interested in getting feedback from you on how we can better deliver programs, services and information to our community.  Your insights and opinions are crucial to the Foundation’s ability to fulfill its mission of raising funds to invest in Washburn High School and advocating for the students, faculty and staff within the broader Washburn community.

Please take the following survey – which should take you no longer than 5 minutes to complete – so that we may gain this valuable information.

In order for us to do the best job we can once faculty and staff return in August we need to get your responses as soon as possible.  Please complete the survey by Thursday, July 21^st.  Your responses will be confidential!  For those who choose to provide us with updated contact information, a drawing will be held for a $5 Caribou Coffee or Starbucks gift card at the conclusion of the survey period.

To begin the 5-minute survey please CLICK HERE!

THANK YOU!

Former Miller and featured performer at both last years’ and this years’ Miller Music Fest, Jeff Arundel and his good friend Jeff Victor co-wrote a beautiful song some years ago called “Harmon Killebrew.” It’s an evocative piece that sparks summer memories of baseball, family and lazy afternoons at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington.  It’s no surprise, once you listen to the song, that the inspiration for the piece was a man of singular character – and one whom both of the Jeffs have carried fondly in their hearts.

The pair performed their tribute to former Twin great and Hall of Famer  Harmon Killebrew on May 26th at Target Field.  The tune originally appeared on Jeff’s mid-90′s album Ride the Ride, and was also the final cut on Cities Sampler Vol. 8.

To see Jeff perform the song at the 2010 Miller Music Fest click HERE!

To listen to the track click HERE!

To see a tribute video of Harmon Killebrew set to Jeff Arundel’s song click HERE!

James Arness, the Minnesota city boy who became television’s strongest, most stoic symbol of the Old West, died Friday at age 88 of natural causes.

Arness was born James Aurness in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  His parents were Rolf Cirkler Aurness (July 22, 1894 – July 1982), a businessman, and Ruth (née Duesler) Aurness (died September 1986), a journalist. His father’s ancestry was Norwegian, his mother’s German.  The family name had been Aursnes, but when Rolf’s father Peter Aursnes emigrated from Norway in 1887, he changed it to Aurness.

Arness attended John Burroughs Grade School, Washburn High School and West High School in Minneapolis. Despite “being a poor student and skipping many classes”, he graduated from high school in June 1942. He then enlisted in the United States Navy to serve in World War II.

Arness’ younger brother was actor Peter Graves (1926–2010). Peter used the stage name “Graves”, a maternal family name.

Arness was best known for the role of straight-shooting straight-arrow U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, the lead character in “Gunsmoke,” which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1975.  It’s tied with “Law & Order” as the longest-running dramatic series in network history.

Born James Aurness (he dropped the “u” when he took up acting), he grew up in south Minneapolis and attended John Burroughs Elementary and Washburn and West high schools. His younger brother, Peter Graves, who died last year, found fame on his own terms as the star of “Mission: Impossible.”

Arness, who rode tall in the saddle at 6 feet 7, was hired to play Dillon on the recommendation of his mentor, John Wayne, who made a rare TV appearance to introduce the very first episode. Before being taken under Wayne’s wing — they made four films together in the 1950s — he fought in World War II and appeared in more than 20 films.

When the show premiered in 1955, mother Ruth Aurness told the Star Tribune that she was distressed about the kind of character her son had signed up to play. “But I suppose I have to think about his career,” she said.

“Gunsmoke” would go on to become the quintessential Western, with Arness as a small-screen Gregory Peck. It was television’s most-watched show from 1957 to 1961. Thirty Westerns came and went on TV during its unprecedented run.

Arness, who rarely agreed to interviews, credited much of his success in playing tough characters to his Minnesota upbringing.

“It must be the Viking blood in me,” the Norwegian-American actor said in 1955. “I’m always thinking about the times I sailed my sailboat in [Lake] Calhoun …”

He is survived by his second wife, Janet, two sons and six grandchildren. A private memorial service will be held in California.

There were 14 different scholarships awarded.  Some are one-time awards while others are renewable for up to four years.

The scholarships include:

• Concord Foundation Scholarship
• Fairview-Southdale Hospital Scholarship
• Knelman Scholarship
• Kopp Family Foundation Recognition Scholarship
• Lillian J. Lindsten Scholarship
• Minneapolis Public Schools Endowed Scholarship
• Minneapolis Association of Administrators and Consultants Scholarship
• Pearson Education Scholarship
• Regis Scholarship
• Richard R. Green Scholarship
• Ross and Doris Taylor Scholarship
• WHS Class of 1956 Scholarship
• WHS Class of 1959 Scholarship and the
• Washburn High School Foundation Scholarship

The recipients of these scholarships included:  Liban Ashkir, Stephen Carter, Yasir Hassan, Crystal Herrera, Tibyus Hill, Hailey Hollenbeck, Lewis Jones, Pa Nhia Khang, Peyton Lauber, Karen Opdahl, Jenny Ortiz, Stephanie Ortiz, Xuan Pham, Rebekah Polland, Max Pratt, Crystal Reyes, Dominic Rigert, Caleb Shepherd, Amanda Stone, Aleksandar Straumann, Shanice Sullivan, Guillermo Turcios, and Mai Vang.

And Congratulations go to Max Pratt who was selected as the recipient of the Washburn High School Foundation’s four-year renewable scholarship.  Max will be attending Missouri State University where he will not only embark on a challenging academic career, but he will also be a member of the Bears’ men’s swimming team.

Students from Washburn High School will compete at the international FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Championship in St. Louis, MO from April 27-30. The event will bring together 352 qualifying teams made up of 8,800 high school students from Australia, Canada, Israel, Mexico and the United States.

The Washburn Millerbots won the Minnesota Northstar Regional Robotics Competition to advance to the national competition.  This marks the Millerbots’ third regional win in the past four years.  The Millerbots created unique business partnerships in the community and forged a connection with the Minnesota High Tech Association.  Students on the robotics team were also engaged in an e-mentoring program with Target Corporation to develop leadership skills and awareness of IT careers.

The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) stages short games played by robots that are designed and built in six weeks from a common set of parts by a team of high-school-aged young people and a handful of engineer-mentors. The students program and remotely control the robots in competition rounds. Judges evaluate teams and present awards for design, technology, sportsmanship and commitment to FIRST. The competition season begins in early January and continues through April.

In the 2011 competition, LOGO MOTION, two alliances of three teams will compete on a 27-by-54-foot field with poles, attempting to earn points by hanging as many triangle, circle and square logo pieces as possible. Bonus points will be earned for each robot that can hang and assemble logo pieces to form the FIRST logo. Robots can also deploy Mini-Bots to climb vertical poles for a chance to earn additional points.

Click here for live streaming video of the competition. The competition begins at 1:00 pm (CDT) and will conclude on Saturday.  The Millerbots will be on the Archimedes field.  Washburn’s robot is bright orange and team number is 2549.

Congratulations to all members of the team and to their coaches Sara Etzel and Peter Grul who will be travelling with the team.  The 2011 Travelling Millerbots are:  Ethan Oscarson, Tyler Meister, Serena Sellars, Maddy Kersten, Matt Kinney, Steve Kinney, Mike Meyer, Gabe Cole-Brant, Georgeann Byrd, Nick Raap, and Conrad Etzel.