Hard work pays off for Hurley Hall of Famers

HURLEY-The Hurley Education Foundation inducted five new members on Saturday at the 13th annual induction ceremony hosted by Hurley K-12 School District.

As part of the foundation's Class of 2015, Patricia Calvi Brahmstedt, Dr. James Lombardo, Dr. Robert Francis Baima, Paul Zarzyski and David Rigoni joined the 46 other inductees in the Hurley Education Foundation.

In honor of their accomplishments, each inductee was given a plaque made by the Highline Corporation in Hurley. As each inductee received their plaque, they gave speeches to acknowledge and thank everyone who made all their success possible.

Patricia Calvi Brahmstedt

At Hurley High School, Brahmstedt was a hard worker and maintained the highest grade point

in her class, and participated in several extracurriculars. Because she so involved, Brahmstedt said she often stayed after school and then took public transportation back home to Pence.

"Coming from Pence, we always felt people from Hurley had an added advantage, whether you knew it or not," she said during her speech. "We were the outsiders. In order to say after school, we had to take the bus. There were only two buses. One was at 5:30 p.m., and if you missed that one, you had to wait until 9:30. So, you had to learn how to organize your after-school activities. No one drove in those days."

After graduating from Hurley High School, she went on to attend the University of Wisconsin, majoring in music. Later, she earned her master's degree at Vanderbilt University, taught at Tennessee Tech University and established a private piano studio.

Brahmstedt performed as a singer-actress on stage and on keyboard in the pit orchestra for musicals and stage plays and was a staff organist and pianist in her church for most of her life.

Together, she and her husband have three gown children and six grandchildren.

Dr. James Lombardo

Lombardo admits to having a "lackluster" high school career and said he was shocked when he found out he was selected to be inducted.

"I see a lot of very surprised faces out there, especially when my named was announced," he said during his speech. "Believe me, none of them are more surprising-looking than the one I'm wearing right now."

After graduating Hurley High School in 1962, Lombardo knew he didn't have many options.

He claimed his only options were being a musician, the military or general labor. But he admitted that he was lazy and had no musical talent. So, he joined the U.S. Navy in 1962 and served for four years. During his service, Lombardo developed a love for medicine and after his military service, Lombardo attended the University of Wisconsin, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees and was awarded a doctorate in audiology.

Through his research in noise exposure, Lombardo developed an approach to the problem of noise interference with human communication. Lombardo applied his expertise to his job in the national Football League, working with most teams over the past 15 years. He has also been the keynote speaker at a meeting of NFL owners and head coaches, where he outlined his program to reduce interference, but he said he was more nervous presenting at the ceremony.

"(During) the weeks before the presentation, there was a fair amount of palm sweat," Lombardo said. "But I was a little more nervous about this. It's not only affected palm sweat, but this also affected my gastrointestinal system."

He said he's proud of the support this hard working community has for the marathon and each other.

"I have always appreciated growing up in Hurley," he said. "Hurley has provided me with a strong work ethic and a desire to always push forward. I see this as the Hurley genetic factor to be preserved for future generations."

Dr. Robert Francis Baima

Baima is an accomplished dentist who grew up through the Hurley school system, attending grades 1-8 at St. Mary's Elementary School and graduating at J.E. Murphy High School in 1969.

"One gift I've been endowed and blessed with was being raised in Hurley," Baima said during his speech. "I was educated here in St. Mary's grade school, and my knuckles are still kinda sore. St. Mary's prepared me for Hurley High School, which prepared me for GCC across the river in Ironwood. Each place had remarkable teachers. These are all gifts."

After Gogebic Community College, he got his doctorate of dental surgery in 1975, and then to practice general dentistry in Wisconsin from 1975-77. After that, Baima studied at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va. for post-doctoral training in periodontics and periodontal surgery and completed his education in 1979.

Later on, Baima completed post-doctoral training in fixed prosthodontics and eventually became first person to hold American Board Certifications in periodontics and prosthodontics.

Baima has had a 35-year academic career in either full-time or part-time faculty positions.

In addition, he has served as a consultant in special dentistry to multiple hospitals and dental residency programs.

Currently, Baima maintains a clinical professorship at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, while maintaining a full-time life in private practice. But of all his accomplishments, Baima said this one is his most important.

"When someone does a bunch of stuff in their life, which I've been fortunate enough to do, some accolades usually follow," he said. "But this is extremely special to me, because it's from home. It's from the people I've known my whole life, my family and all of the people in the community."

In recognition for their support, Baima thanked his teachers at Hurley High School.

"This is a memorable day for me," he said. "I am humbled and honored. I would like to give some credit to my teachers for preparing me in the past for the career I've had. Apparently the educational excellence goes on."

Paul Zarzyski

Zarzyski's neighbor, Paul Sturgul, accepted the award on his behalf.

Sturgul said Zarzyski was unable to make the ceremony due to a medical problem, but wished he could have been there.

In a pamphlet given out at the ceremony, it read Zarzyski has been "spurring words wild across the open range of the page and calling it poetry for over 40 years."

After he got his bachelor's degree at UW-Steven's Point in the early 70s, Zarzyski heeded Horace Greely's advice to go west and left his home in the midwest to study with renowned poet Richard Hugo at the University of Montana.

"I hoped to move to California," Sturgul said as he read Zarzyski's prepared remarks. "My mom and I met somewhere in the middle, as I moved only halfway from Hurley, to Montana."

There, he received his Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing, something he thought he'd never do.

"Art poetica, the art of poetry was, without a doubt, the last passion I ever imagined pursuing as a Hurley Hugh School student in the late '60s," Sturgul said as he read Zarzyski's speech.

After receiving his master's degree, Zarzyski went on to become a teacher.

Zarzyski authored 12 books and chapbooks. He has also applied his love of words to the art of lyrics and co-wrote "Western Hits." Currently, Zarzyski is working on the finishing phases of his fifth spoken-word studio recording, which offers applications of different instruments in an exotic fashion.

In the pamphlet, Zarzyski attributed all his success to his supporting and loving parents.

"Zarzyski attributes all of his endeavors - every second, every step, every breath, every word, music groove and riff - to his mother and father, Delia and Leonard, who instilled in him a love for story telling and a belief in the power of hard work."

David Rigoni

Rigoni graduated from Hurley High School fifty years ago. From there, he went on to get a bachelor's degree in English from UW-Superior. Then, Rigoni taught high school English and coached basketball for 14 years at three schools.

After studying computer science at Mankato State University and completing a master's degree in education at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Rigoni left his job at the high school to teach computer information systems at College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, eventually becoming the department and division chair.

Seventeen years later, he went on to become a administrator and teacher at the University of St. Thomas. While at St. Thomas, Rigoni served as the department chair and associate and intermit dean.

Currently, Rigoni is a faculty member and teaches graduate students Leadership, Policy and Administratorship. While teaching, Rigoni says he tells his students that they're all "unique."

"Everyone of them is unique," he said. "They're put together from their entire life experience. Where they grew up. Where they went to school. What teachers they had. What their families were like. What their relatives. The towns they lived. It all grows and comes part of what makes people extremely unique."

Being from Hurley, Rigoni said during his speech that people are shocked he's from there.

"The fact that I'm from Hurley has always been a major piece of my background," he said. "I've had this happen, when say I'm from Hurley, people go, 'You're from Hurley.' The reputation of Hurley is widespread."