JDHS STUDENTS BUILD NEW DERBY HOUSE

Derby anglers who validate their derby tickets or weigh in fish at the Auke Bay station will be greeted this year by a brand new derby house. The new house comes compliments of JDHS’s vocational ed class, taught by Andy Bullick. During the past school year, Andy and his class worked with Jim Cartmill from the Territorial Sportsmen to design a lighter weight structure, using 2″ X 2″ framing instead of the standard 2″ X 4″ framing used in the original structure. Andy and his students plan to build two more new, lighter weight houses next year to replace the ones at Douglas and Amalga.

Camden Erickson, a sophomore in last year’s vocational ed class, said the project was fun, though it was a bit tricky getting all the measurements and angles right. He and his classmates not only cut and painted the wooden structure, they also designed connectors that could be used to more easily assemble and dissemble the structure, given that derby houses are stored in a warehouse between derbies. Ericksons classmates include Cooper Barelli, Tim Degner, Carl Doutt, Isaac Gabel, Fetus Lachester, Mitchell Laudert, Caleb Peimann, Tyler Weldon, and Ethan Welch. Don Abel Building Supply generously provided paint and materials at a discounted rate.

The new, light weight, freshly painted Auke Bay derby house will replace the one that was built over 40 years ago. TSI deeply appreciates the contribution made by our Juneau youth and looks forward to more interactions with Andy’s class in replacing the other two derby houses in the coming year. When praised for his efforts, Andy noted that several of his vocational ed students have been awarded TSI scholarships over the years, and that the scholarships have proven extremely valuable in enabling students to achieve their educational goals.

If you know Andy or any of the students responsible for the new Auke Bay derby house, please take a moment to acknowledge their efforts. Their contribution helps enable TSI to continue offering scholarships to high school graduates. Thanks a million to Andy and the entire vocational ed team!