It’s 10:30 a.m. and third period just started on the first day of school at Unalaska High School. Students and faculty are gathering outside the school’s newly renovated wood shop for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Matt Lightner, who does maintenance with the Unalaska City School District, said they’ve been talking about remodeling the wood shop since he started working for the district seven years ago.
The district paid about $16,000 for the remodel and expansion, and according to Lightner, the shop is now easier for students to walk around while in class.
“It'll be safer,” he said. “It'll be cleaner and a better experience for the students and that was our goal. So, I’m happy … I’m very happy.”
Lightner started remodeling the wood shop in April, after the University of Alaska Learning Center moved out next door.
At Monday’s ceremony, UCSD staff dedicated the wood shop to a former Unalaska shop teacher Alan Haskins. He worked for the district for 15 years, and died earlier this year from heart failure.
Lightner knew Haskins.
“When we had the opportunity to expand the wood shop, I would ask myself, ‘How would Alan like to have this set up?’” Lightner said. “It's set up now like a professional wood shop. I wish that he was here to see this.”
Reise Wayner, UCSD’s current shop teacher, was one of Haskins’ students and viewed him as a mentor. He said the new wood shop is a lot more organized with state-of-the-art equipment.
“It enables the kids to work in that kind of professional shop environment and get the skills that they need to get, as well as [an instructor] that will train them to show up on time, listen and work hard,” Wayner said.
Wayner said past shop classes have built buildings for the community, including a house and a smokehouse. This year, students plan to use the new space to build a traditional steam bath.
