Cynthia Asiala's Speech at Project Kaleva Dedication July 22, 2000

I am going to chronologically list the projects as of the starting date. I'm sure my memory might need correcting in some areas but here are the unbelievable jobs these students and helpers have accomplished:

1996 Spring-Interviewed 15+ elders about Kaleva and surveyed 100 households, reclaimed and renamed the Asiala park downtown, worked with 6th graders and repainted the Welcome to Kaleva signs.

1996 Fall-Remodeled the Welcome Center, painted the firehouse mural, began the Depot renovation.

1997 Spring-Finished the Welcome Center including the totem pole, landscaped the Depot, built benches, designed flags, made first site signs.

1997 Fall-Started the Kaleva Art Gallery, painted the Midnight Sun fence, built more benches, continued work on Depot, Doyle Eckhardt mentor, KHS added Project Kaleva as ad-hoc committee for fund raising.

1998 Spring-Finished Depot, grand opening of railroad museum June 1, eagle sculpture finished with Andy Priest, built shelf unit with Rex Alexander, also did another totem pole for fund raiser, received Governor's Service Award and MEA's Showcasing Public School Success award. 1998 Fall Video & cookbook published, first Songs of Kaleva, landscaped the eagle lot, historical designation research continued, log cabin donated, moved and renovation begun, Howard Shedd, mentor Istua chairs, re-modeled middle room of KAG, built benches for outdoor theater.

1999 Spring-Built bench/planter unit, deck/stage for log cabin, rebuilt roof & gables, designed and placed flower pots and trash containers on main street, designed and ordered centennial banner, began floats, presentation to U of M about doing oral histories, videotaped six histories, split shingles for log cabin.

1999 Fall-Daubed log cabin and shingled half of roof, built sub-floor, repainted village signs (again), designed signs for all projects, began landscaping of Centennial Walkway, 9 MISD students worked on that and art works, made more benches, crafted giant grasshopper welded sculpture with Andy Priest, received President's Service Award by Corporation for National Service & Points of Light Foundation.

2000 Spring-Finished gardens/artworks on Centennial Walkway: grasshopper, bells Kiivipelto-rock garden & trolls, Finnish flag garden, heart & butterfly gardens, stepping stones, welded entrance gate, put out benches & site signs with nine MISD students, did several presentations, finished log cabin.

It's difficult to know where to begin to acknowledge persons who have made this endeavor successful, besides the students of course. I must again start at the beginning and credit Karen Peabody who wrote the Learn & Serve grant for Manistee County and Greg Webster who agreed to involve BHS in the service learning initiative. Karen also encouraged us to focus our efforts in Kaleva, partly because of its rich heritage and also because the centennial was approaching. She also trained Deborah Crandell in good service learning techniques; without which it wouldn't have worked. Besides the KND administration, we must thank the school board for their continued support and interest in our project.

The Kaleva Village Council has also been integral to what has been accomplished. Everything we asked they approved and warmly sanctioned. Just think about it folks..we said some kids were going to fix up the abandoned, boarded up train depot, did they start listing all the reasons we couldn't possibly do it? No--they said go ahead and they would trade the railroad right of way to Somsel Lumber Co. and they'll donate materials needed! Incredible! Next we asked to move the log cabin to town, did they tell us it's an eyesore, prohibited by zoning? No, they gave us a lot to put it on and agreed to pay electric bills for the Depot and Log Cabin.

That reminds me of businesses and individuals which helped us time after time-Kaleva Telephone Co., John Cribbs Sr. and Jr.-telephone service, the website domain, Lonny Ballard, donating and sawing boards for us, Junie Nelson donating many cedar logs for shingles, Joe Cudney too, Renwicks giving us electricity at the Depot until we got it hooked up, I'll mention more a little later.

Next comes to mind the wonderful mentors who have served us over the years. Our first carpenter/handyman was Frank Svetkovich, loaned to us by Somsel Lumber. He helped us with remodeling the Welcome Center and getting started in the Depot. Then we had the great fortune to convince Doyle Eckhardt to come to work with us to finish the Depot and mentor the entire log cabin project. The effect he has had on this program and the students who worked with him is not measurable nor will it be forgotten. Students had only good words to describe their experience with him-from rebuilding a floor to daubing cracks between logs, to putting away the tools, the skills he taught and patience he had-plus the treats Marvel made for them! were greatly appreciated by everyone.

Rex Alexander and Andy Priest joined us soon after Doyle and their skills and talents greatly enhanced the students' efforts. The eagle sculpture was and still is a traffic stopper, as people are amazed by its majestic perch and the grace it brings to a formerly empty lot in downtown Kaleva. Of course since that got people's attention you can guess what effect the next sculpture is having! Cars screeching to a stop on Walta St., running to see close up the magnificent grasshopper, the artist named "Farmer's Nightmare." Every day many people pile out of vehicles and swarm around to take photos and identify the recycled junk parts Andy taught the students to see some artistic use for. Before service learning, Andy was a very good welder, now he is a metal sculpture artist and the students who worked with him can claim the same fame-we helped craft the eagle and grasshopper which is making Kaleva famous-what an opportunity! The same is true for those who learned fine cabinetry from Rex Alexander.

Next we met Howard Shedd and found out he could help us figure out how to do practically anything we needed done. Fixing up old chairs, cutting out plywood figures for a float, putting together boards for signs, teaching how to router letters, building benches, he was a treasure store of ways and means to get things done. The kids got along so well with easy going Howard and or course he bribed them with treats too.

We had other mentors for short term projects-Vince Aguilar, air brush artist, Jim Reynolds, carver of totem poles, Wayne Crandell and Tim Joseph, carpentry, Trish Buchanan, landscaping, Sonny Miller who taught us so much about railroad history, Jim Glick, substitute at the cabin, my husband, Chick, who helped me find people when I needed them, lent us everything he owns from his truck to his tools, helped me figure out how to do things, everything and anything I asked him to do--he still does what I ask. Thanks so much to him.

The list of people to thank goes on. Everyone who contributed in any way deserves credit for the success of the project. Let me mention groups who helped with funding. Lutheran Brotherhood contributed every year of the project-five times in different grant categories, Manistee County Foundation funded two proposals, the Kellogg Foundation granted to us three times, we had the support of Quest International for three years, the Manistee County Human Services Collaborating Body helped us one semester, WSCC's school to work grant, a state grant through MISD, a grant from Teaching Tolerance-we were very fortunate to find these sources of financial help for our projects. The Finlandia Foundation Trust helped us put on free summer entertainment, Midwest Living Magazine award bought flags and banners, grants from Robert Frey, and Jack Batdorff helped us tremendously. You already heard about the donors through the historical society and Project Kaleva, and the wonderful support we've had from local service organizations: the Lions Club, the VFW, Mike Marinelli maintains and updates our website, Alin Kuuttila Campbell, Julie Dunnigan and her husband, Ron Brown & son Greg Brown, Consumer's Energy, Sheppleman Electric-all of these volunteered time, talents and/or materials.