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Burnsville MS News

Feb 3, 2016

Harold Bergquist

Osnabrock, Landa, Hannah, Starkweather, Larimore and Grand Forks school districts in North Dakota, and the Burnsville and Rosemount-Apple Valley school districts in Minnesota. During his tenure in the Grand Forks school district, he researched and assisted in developing the PREP (pre discharge education program). It was the first of its kind and became the model for other programs in the U.S. and the world. He then completed his education career as superintendent of the Lakota School District, retiring in 2005. Following his retirement, Harold practiced law in Larimore and Lakota. Harold had a strong commitment to public service. In 1980, he was the Democratic-Farmer Labor Party endorsed candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Minnesota’s second congressional district. In 2006, Harold was elected as a county commissioner for Nelson County and was then appointed parliamentarian for the North Dakota Association of Counties. On June 10, 1956, he married Audrey Eriksmoen. They raised five children, Kathryn (Bruce Smith), Beverly, Harold John, David (Nick Trunzo) and Andrew. Harold married Susan Zimmermann on April 6, 1984. Harold is survived by his wife, Susan; his children; his grandchildren, Melissa Bergquist and Michael Aiken; his brothers, Donald Bergquist, Adams, and Robert (Kaaren) Bergquist, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews. Harold was preceded in death by his son, Harold John; and his parents. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to www.CUREPSP.org. (www.iversonkassianfuneralservices.com) ... (Bismarck Tribune)

Dec 30, 2015

2015: News in review

Award She doesn’t live at Lake Junaluska, and technically doesn’t even represent Waynesville. But that hasn’t stopped N.C. Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, from bestowing her wisdom from afar.  Presnell has blockaded the merger of Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville for three years running. Not one to let pesky details get in the way of a good old-fashioned hunch, Presnell has discounted things like engineering reports, financial economies of scale and the people’s own wishes — insisting she’s saving both the Lake and the town from what’s in fact a bad deal for both of them. Presnell even blocked the latest version of a merger bill that called for the chance to let residents decide for themselves by holding a vote.   Big Cojones Award Franklin Mayor Bob Scott never imagined his swearing-in ceremony would cause uproar in the community. All he did was place his hand on the Constitution while swearing to uphold the same document, but it’s what he didn’t do that has many Christians throwing stones at Scott. While it’s traditional to place your hand upon the Bible to take an oath, Scott said he thought it made more sense to swear on the document he is supposed to uphold as mayor. In a region sometimes described as the buckle of the Bible Belt, many have questioned his personal religious beliefs, accused him of not having morals and said he is an embarrassment to Franklin. For someone who has given more than 12 years of service to the town he loves, the lambasting has been tough for Scott to understand.  As a former journalist, Scott has an immense respect for the First Amendment. He said he would stand up for anyone’s right to take an oath on the Bible, the Quran or any other religious text because that’s their personal right. So it’s a bit ironic that his critics are acting as though his actions are an attack on Christianity.    It takes courage and conviction to stand up for something you believe in — especially when you know it isn’t going to be a popular decision among your conservative and religious constituency. The second-term mayor has had overwhelming support in office and was even unopposed in the last election. His decision will probably cost the well-liked mayor some support in the next election, but Scott refuses to make decisions based on political games. He could have placed his beliefs on the backburner by swearing on a Bible and moving on, but he should be commended for having the backbone to hold fast to his principles no matter the consequences.    Animal House Award Just like the frat brothers in the National Lampoon movie, members of the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at Western Carolina University have had their share of misteps, earning the fraternity this award.  From a pledge’s claim that PKA members had waterboarded him — he said they forced him to recite the frat’s preamble while holding a running water hose to his mouth — to a fist-fight that resulted in assault charges against two frat brothers and left freshman Zachary Denson, who was not a member of PKA, with injuries rendering him unable to finish the semester, the frat’s had its share of press time this year. And that’s not even mentioning PKA’s troubles in 2010, when the university found the frat guilty of violating multiple policies. PKA was stripped of recognition until spring 2014, just one year before losing its status once again.  This spring, WCU handed the fraternity a five-year suspension, and the national fraternity later suspended the chapter was well. That means members can’t meet on PKA business or use the frat’s marks. If the Council votes to revoke the chapter’s charter at its next big meeting in 2016, this installment of Animal House could be headed toward the ending credits.    Where’s Waldo Award A hometown version of Where’s Waldo has been all the rage in Haywood County this year, but instead of searching for the quirky cartoon character in red-and-white stripes, this game centers around sightings of Mike Matthews, the newly elected Haywood County tax collector. County officials went public with their irritation over... (Smoky Mountain News)