2008 News

Jan. 3
Seniors Jake Johnson and Chris Stafne led Denfeld's hockey team to a third-place finish in the Rochester Kiwanis Tournament.

Jan. 6
Andy Ensign (class of 1991) was part of the first Duluth sister city delegation visit to Petrozavodsk, Russia in 1986.

Jan. 9
East needed two power play goals to get past Denfeld in an intracity hockey matchup.

Jan. 9
According to the Duluth School District's design and construction schedule, Denfeld will be remodeled, with an addition built, in 2010.

Jan. 13
David Hoskins, a junior at Denfeld, works nearly 40 hours a week as a busboy at a local restaurant to help support his family.

Jan. 16
Alan Mitchell (class of 1963) is expected to take the position of interim county administrator for St. Louis County.

Jan. 24
The Duluth School District has announced its plan to purchase 11 homes on West Fourth Street to expand Denfeld.

Jan. 31
Senior Jake Johnson is determined to lead the Denfeld hockey team to the state tournament.

Feb. 6
Denfeld senior Anthony Leone, a star linebacker on the football team, will commit to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Feb. 7
Denfeld junior Laura Bellamyknows there's no such thing as playing too much hockey.

Feb. 21
The new Cars & Trucks CD is a top seller in Duluth. The band's singer and guitar player is Tony Bennett (class of 1994).

Feb. 23
After a near-fatal accident, doctors told Denfeld senior Frank Cederstrom he'd never play hockey again. They were wrong.

Feb. 27
Denfeld faces fifth-ranked St. Cloud Cathedral in the section 5A championship hockey game in Cloquet.

Feb. 28
Denfeld was denied a trip to the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, losing to St. Cloud Cathedral 3-1.

Mar. 25
Denfeld senior hockey forwards Jake Johnson and Chris Stafne were both chosen to the Duluth News Tribune's All-area First Team.

Mar. 28
Denfeld senior Chris Stafne has accepted a scholarship from the University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey program.

April 2
Pete Stauber (class of 1984) was a member of the Division I NCAA hockey championship team from Lake Superior State University.

April 6
Despite a 4-16 record last season, Denfeld baseball coach Dan DuPay sees a lot of potential with his team.

April 9
Inspired by the book Three Cups of Tea, Denfeld students are donating their pennies to help build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

April 11
Retired Denfeld English teacher Jim Johnson has been named Duluth's poet laureate.

April 16
Former Denfeld principal G. Dell Daedo, who died in February, made a posthumous $40,000 contribution to the Greater Denfeld Foundation.

April 18
Jon Donahue (class of 1983) co-hosts the public access television show The Average Guys, which is airing its 400th episode.

April 23
Veronica Frost (Flowers, class of 1974) was the youngest winner of the Duluth News Tribune's annual recipe contest in 1973.

April 29
MnArtists.org profiles retired Denfeld English teacher Jim Johnson, recently named Duluth's port laureate.

May 1
Chris Halverson (class of 1988) reunites with his band, the Mighty Shock Tower, to play Duluth's Homegrown Music Festival.

May 3
The Duluth Heritage Sports Center, the new home for Duluth high school and youth hockey teams, has hosted its first official game.

May 4
A 1,000-acre state wildlife management area has been named after retired DNR fish and wildlife director Roger Holmes (class of 1954).

May 9
Denfeld chemistry teacher Ed Felien has won the 2008 Goldfine Gold Star Teacher Award.

May 17
Ray Peterson (class of 1926) is being honored as one of the “Founders” of Duluth hockey.

May 24
Ted Broman (class of 1937) is living in Colorado Springs. He was a combat pilot in North Africa and Italy during World War II.

May 25
Katy Helbacka (class of 1998) is Renegade Comedy Theater's new artistic director.

May 25
Denfeld defeated top-seeded St. Francis in the winners’ bracket of the Section 7AAA Elite Eight high school softball tournament.

May 28
Faith and cutting edge technology are giving Dylan SeSanto a fighting chance for life. His parents are Dustin and Laura DeSanto (class of 1998).

May 29
Denfeld's softball team ends its season one contest shy of the school’s first section championship game appearance since 1990.

June 1
Jeremy Polson (class of 1996) is on the May-June cover of RunMinnesota magazine.

June 1
Denfeld senior Josh Carter won the 100- and 400-meter events at the Section 7AA track and field meet, setting a school-record in the process.

June 5
Denfeld's girls basketball, girls soccer, and boys and girls golf head coaches have retired.

June 5
George Rapp (class of 1948) has discovered two lost cities in China and the shoreline of legendary Troy in northwestern Turkey.

June 7
Brett Larson (class of 1991) has accepted an assistant coaching position with the University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey program.

June 7
About 20 Denfeld upperclassmen have produced a documentary about the school's outdated science equipment and labs.

June 7
Denfeld senior Josh Carter qualified for the finals in the 400-meter dash at the Minnesota state track and field meet.

June 19
Don Olson (class of 1967) is the new athletic director at the College of St. Scholastica.

June 25
Ben Jukich (class of 2001) could soon be joining the pitching rotation of the Cincinnati Reds.

June 30
Ben Jukich (class of 2001) will play in minor league baseball's Southern League All-Star Game.

July 7
Ken Beetcher (class of 1991) didn't let his blindness keep him from building a playhouse for his children.

July 10
Click to download the Summer 2008 issue of the Denfeld Alumni News. (Requires Adobe Reader program.)

July 14
Ben Jukich (class of 2001) is the strating pitcher for the North Division in the Southern League All-Star Game in Zebulon, N.C.

July 19
Steve Hagen (class of 1964) founded the Dharma Field Zen Center in Minneapolis and is author of several books on Buddhism.

July 19
Jeremy Polson (class of 1996) won his fourth Park Point 5-Miler, finishing in 25 minutes, 45 seconds.

July 19
Ben Jukich (class of 2001) is pitching for the Cincinnati Reds’ Class AAA affiliate in Louisville.

July 23
Denfeld senior Cody Hotchkin will be one of the state’s best hockey forwards this winter.

July 24
Dozens of Denfeld graduates made the Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation's list of 2008 scholarship recipients.

July 30
Joyce Lamont (class of 1933) has co-authored a nostalgic cookbook called Joyce
Lamont's Favorite Minnesota Recipes & Radio Memories.

July 31
Ben Jukich (class of 2001) earned his first Class AAA baseball victory, pitching eight shutout innings.

Aug. 4
Josh Jurek and Tim Kokotovich are expected to lead a competitive Denfeld boy’s soccer team this year.

Aug. 8
Greg Anderson (class of 1979) leads the NHRA's Pro Stock standings leading into the Nationals in Brainerd.

Aug. 10
Greg Anderson (class of 1979) continues to hold the top qualifying spot in Pro Stock heading into today’s final eliminations at the NHRA Nationals.

Aug. 14
Dave Mehling (class of 2005) is moving from Duluth to the Twin Cities.

Aug. 17
The Barber brothers of West Duluth, including eldest brother John (class of 1936), still share their love of fishing.

Aug. 24
Tracy Lundeen (class of 1972) is sharing the music of his old band QuickBreath through a retrospective CD.

Aug. 30
Denfeld's football team stopped a Hermantown two-point conversion to secure a 14-13 victory in its season opener.

Sept. 9
The late Armond Hauge (class of 1946) left $3.2 million to the Greater Denfeld Foundation for student scholarships.

Sept. 20
Phil DesMarais (class of 2006) will play in the College of St. Scholastica's first intercollegiate football game today in Milwaukee.

Sept. 21
Denfeld senior Laura Bellamy has narrowed her college choices to UMD, Ohio State and Harvard.

Oct. 10
Former Denfeld physical education teacher and baseball coach Thomas "Dukes" Knutson is working in the Tampa Bay Rays press box.

Oct. 12
Admirers turned out to congratulate Dick Palmer (class of 1948) upon the close of his 60-year career at the Duluth Budgeteer.

Oct. 21
Denfeld senior Tyler Conito credits football with saving his life after X-rays of his broken ribs revealed a cancerous tumor.

Nov. 6
Jim Heffernan (class of 1957) has compiled a book of his favorite columns from his 34 years at the Duluth News Tribune.

Nov. 9
Dave Sabick (class of 2003) owns Heavy on Wrestling, a company promoting a professional wrestling card in Superior.

Nov. 11
Brad Bennett (class of 1965) traveled to California to attended the funeral of a Marine who was a member of his unit.

Nov. 14
The artificial turf at Public Schools Stadium will be repaired by its manufacturer before the surface’s warranty expires.

Nov. 20
Details of the schematic designs for the expansion of Denfeld High School in West Duluth have been released.

Nov. 20
View the schematic designs for Denfeld's expansion.

Nov. 20
Denfeld senior Laura Bellamy is a top-12 finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman award.

Dec. 1
Don Pasek (class of 1945) has retired from the Downtown Duluth pharmacy he founded more than a half-century ago.

Dec. 3
Denfeld was victorious in the first boys high school hockey game at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center.

Dec. 12
Architects planning the expansion and renovation of Denfeld are striving to maintain the historic character of the building.

Dec. 18
Roger Holmes (class of 1954) has died of complications from prostate cancer.

Dec. 24
Bill Kron (class of 1964) attended his final County Board meeting on Tuesday. He served as western Duluth's commissioner for 32 years.

Dec. 26
The newest members of the Hunter Hall of Fame will be honored in a special induction ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009.

Dec. 27
Wally Smith (class of 1942) died on Christmas Day. He was one of Denfeld's greatest athletes and a hero of World War II.

Dec. 28
Vicki Caskey (class of 2005) is attending the University of Minnesota Duluth on an Alworth scholarship. She is studying cell and molecular biology.

In Loving Memory
A list of Denfeld alums who died in 2008.