Easter Bunny Update

I wouldn't hold my breath people--look what I saw on the news this morning.

Who's That Girl?

Jana is donating her hair to Locks of Love--good for you Jana

Flooding in Poplar Bluff

This has been amazing! We have flooding that is record breaking from 7-11 inches in a 24 hour period. Check out the KFVS Heartland News site for some incredible pictures. We are going to try to go out today and get some pictures. Our clinic is closed today due to sewer backup in the lower level. We are fine at our house and the kids are fine in town. Candy and Bernie were stranded at their house yesterday. Our pond was pouring over the bank on the one side like a big waterfall. Jana and Doug

Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America

Remember...click on images to enlarge

Ulmer named 2008 Special Education Administrator of the Year

As executive director of the Bemidji Regional Interdistrict Council, Denny Ulmer works extensively with a network of area school superintendents on special education issues.

Minnesota Administrators for Special Education is recognizing his efforts by naming him the 2008 Special Education Administrator of the Year.

“I’m very flattered,” said Ulmer, who has worked as the BRIC executive director for the past 14 years. “It’s an honor.”

BRIC is a large special education services cooperative serving 11 member school districts in north central Minnesota.

One of Ulmer’s main responsibilities is working with the superintendents from the member school districts on special education funding and compliance issues. He said he helps the school districts maintain compliance with special education regulations while working within their budgets.

“We’re very, very heavily regulated,” Ulmer said.

He also said special education funding poses challenges.

Ulmer said the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act signed into law in the 1970s and reauthorized by Congress in 2004 promises to provide states with 40 percent of funding for the cost of the services the act mandates.

However, Ulmer said, the federal funding has consistently fallen short of that promise. In 2008, the appropriations from Congress to states will be about 17 percent.

“That remains a very big challenge,” Ulmer said.

Despite the challenges, he said his job as BRIC executive director is “rewarding work.”

“With the staff we have, we’re able to offer quality services,” Ulmer said.

Carl Remmers, superintendent of the Cass Lake-Bena School District and director on the BRIC Executive Board, said Ulmer does an excellent job providing for the needs of students in special education and is diligent with budgeting to make sure schools can afford special education services.

“We appreciate all the work he does with us,” Remmers said. “We congratulate him on being the Special Education Administrator of the Year.”

MASE is recognizing Ulmer for his “longtime dedication to providing quality, comprehensive and cost-effective services in public schools for students with disabilities and their families as well as his active involvement in professional and community affairs,” according to a press release.

Mia Urick, director of communications and professional development for MASE, said a group of Ulmer’s colleagues nominated him for the honor.

She said Ulmer has years of outstanding experience as a leader in education in Minnesota. She added that he is very active in informing legislators about policymaking.

“And he’s been a tremendous resource for his colleagues,” Urick said.

Ulmer is a past MASE president and board member and was appointed last year as the MASE representative on the state’s 2007 Legislative Task Force on Special Education. He also has represented MASE on several other committees, including the Minnesota Mental Health Action Group.

Ulmer has worked as a special education administrator for 23 years, serving numerous public schools throughout north-central Minnesota.

Bob Doetsch, superintendent of the Blackduck School District and chairman of the BRIC Executive Board, said Ulmer deserves the recognition as 2008 Special Education Administrator of the Year.

“He’s an outstanding administrator,” Doetsch said.

He said Ulmer is very knowledgeable about laws and special education regulations and is politically active.

“Congratulations to Denny for a job well done,” he said. “And his job continues to be well done day in and day out.”

Ulmer will be recognized at the MASE/Minnesota Association of School Administrators Spring Conference April 3-4 in Bloomington, Minn.

Why Buy Expensive Toys?

Submitted by: Jana

The journey continues

This trip continues to be amazing. Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, is a very clean beautiful city clinging to numerous mountains. We spent a whole day walking around, getting organized and visiting the Genocide Memorial Museum which is a well done museum that recounts the tragedy that was Rwanda in 1994. It is very hard to imagine that over 1,000,000 people were butchered in this country. The people are very open to foreigners - and small children like to touch our white skin, kinda weird.

Today we awoke at 4am to go to the Congolese border and trek Gorilla (not Guerilla) and this proved to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It was a difficult trek up and we were able to hang out WITH the gorilla in the wild - breast feeding, chest thumping, tree eating, poop throwing, etc. We spent about 2 hours with them and then the jungle was hit by a hail storm which made the 90 minute trek down to the base very grueling.

We crossed a 'border' between Rwanda & Uganda which is patroled by a chicken coop fence and a herd of goat. We were soaking wet from the down pour. From here I hitched a ride with 5 congolese guys in a 1998 Toyota Carolla that took us 2.5 hours on dirt mountain roads to the town of Kabale. Here i jumped on the back of a motorbike navigated by a 14 year old Ugandan Evil-Knievil over mountains at speeds that made me think - I'm going to die flying over the edge of a Ugandan mountain.

We are staying in a tent on the shore of Lake Bunyoni - it is unbelievable!

I haven't showered in six days - I must go now.

Love,
Jeffrey James