Gladbrook-Reinbeck teacher Scott Fisher (left) stood next to Mike Holmes, Park Board member Sue Buskohl (front) and students Johnathan Westwater, Cael Knaack and Lydia Bystricky with Lions Club member Dale Wambold (right). –Photo by Cyote Williams

Students at Gladbrook-Reinbeck were presented with the task of putting together four new grills at Elmwood Park after Sue Buskohl from the Reinbeck Park Board noticed the olde ones, which date back to the 1960s, had been falling over and were in need of being fixed.

After a conversation about the grills between Buskohl, Reinbeck Lion’s Club member Dale Wambold and Wade VanHauen, the idea to bring the project to the high school began to materialize. Mike Holmes of Holmes Welding and Fabrication was gracious enough to donate the materials necessary to the school for use on the new grills. Once the idea reached the school, Industrial Tech teacher Scott Fisher was in charge of giving his students the right direction and ability to weld the materials together and make the grills.

One resource Fisher found helpful for this was a website students would be able to use during set aside class time or at home, welding-game.web.app. While the website was not an end all be all in teaching his students how to properly weld, it helped allow the students to practice the proper pace and hand steadiness that is required. Buskohl expressed her satisfaction with the job done so far and said the Park Board was “very lucky to be able to work with Mr. Fisher.”

The main students involved with this project were Lydia Bystricky, Jonathan Westwater and Cael Knaack. Bystricky did a majority of the welding due to her “already having the natural speed,” according to Fisher.

Holmes and VanHauen used the opportunity to speak to Fisher’s class about searching for careers in the trades. They are seeking kids with passion, desire and attention to detail as well as a willingness to learn.