House project hones construction skills

Open house set

this weekend

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Forty-two construction trades class students at Sleepy Eye Public School are completing work on a house project this month.

The school district has about $85,000 in materials invested in the 1,580 square foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home that will be sold by bids May 28.

The public is invited to an open house to view the home behind Sleepy Eye Public School, 1-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Built-in features of the home include leaded glass above many windows, cabinets built by Jeff Ellefson of Springfield, interior decorating by Deloris Lindley of Springfield, ornamental wood trim around interior doors by Russ Ubl of New Ulm.

Other features are a built-in pantry, florescent cabinet lighting, 9-foot high interior walls, 2 feet of attic insulation and 5 1/2 inches of urethane foam wall insulation, a heated bathroom floor and one-piece shower stalls with recessed lights.

Students enjoyed the class because it introduced them to the construction trades sand provided real world experience.

St. Mary's junior Paul Fuchs said the course allowed him to learn things he wouldn't learn in the classroom.

"It gives us experience and furthers our interest in construction trades," said Fuchs,who is thinking about working in construction after high school.

St. Mary's junior Chad Bernard found the class "fun to build things and explore future careers." He is also thinking about a construction career.

Tim Braulick, a junior at St. Mary's, said the class was interesting and helped him learn many practical skills.

Sleepy Eye High School junior Justin Erwin said he appreciated the hands-on experience the class offered.

For construction trades teacher Bernie Wenner, it was the 26th home that students built under his direction. The first home was built in 1975 at Cottonwood River Technical Center in Springfield.

Wenner taught the class in Springfield until last fall when he joined the Sleepy Eye Public School faculty after the school board opted out of CRTC.

"The first house we built cost about $13,000, but didn't have nearly as many features or was as large as this year's home," Wenner said. "Some of our homes had that much money invested just in cabinetry."

Wenner said building the home is more challenging before the roof is built and heat is held inside. As is done each year, the school-built homes are inspected by state officials.

He is assisted by technical tutors Dan Petersen of Springfield and recently-retired Sleepy Eye High School industrial arts teacher Dean Ristau.