The Crookston School Board will hold its last regularly scheduled meeting of 2025 on Monday evening at 5:00 p.m. at the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room.

The consent agenda includes the approval of the meeting minutes from November 24, bills and disbursements in the amount of $434,709.59, and accept a donation from the Crookston Youth Basketball Association in the amount of $2,000 for the boys basketball program.

There will be administrative reports and the regular agenda includes the following –

Approval of the second readings of policy revisions as recommended by the Minnesota School Board Association and the policy committee, approval and establishing of a combined polling place, the 2024-25 final audit, approve the Comprehensive achievement and civic readiness report, the approval of an agreement with ICS to do a building analysis for Washington School, and the approve the master agreement with the Crookston School District teachers union for 2025-26, 2026-27 school years.

The next meeting date is scheduled for Monday, January 26 at 5:00 p.m. at the Crookston High School choir/orchestra room.

Tags: Crookston Education Association, Crookston School Board, Crookston Teachers Union, Crookston Youth Basketball Association, ICS, news, Washington School

• Keepsake photo and story books are presented as educational and fun gift alternatives to toys and tech.
• The books cover topics like the 2026 Winter Olympics, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and legendary athletes.
• These gifts are designed to inspire reading and support a child’s interests in sports and music.

Christmas doesn’t have to be all about toys and tech. Gift them something educational that’s still fun and inspiring with a keepsake photo and story book. Whether they want to relive The Eras Tour, or dive into the 2026 Winter Olympics, these books engage their hobbies and interests, while giving them something meaningful to flip through again and again.

From kid-friendly sports guides and legendary athletes to book parents and kids can enjoy together. These holiday picks are designed to start conversations, inspire a love of reading and support their love o sports and music. They’re the kind of gifts that feel special on Christmas morning, but earn a spot on the bookshelf long after the wrapping paper is gone.

Shop USA TODAY’s kid-friendly photo books

From the Olympics to Taylor Swift, these photo books support their fandom while being gifts that are educational keepsakes.

Chasing Gold: A Kid’s Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics

The 2026 winter Olympics kick off in February! Whether your kid is already lacing up for gold medal training, or you’re just now inspiring a love for sports, this kid-friendly book uses Olympic stories designed for kids to make Olympic athletes feel like superheroes.

Chasing Gold: A Kid’s Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics

“Chasing Gold” brings Team USA’s 2026 Winter Olympics dreams right into your child’s hands with 40 pages of vibrant, full-color profiles that make real Olympians feel like superheroes. Shop this kid’s Winter Olympics book

For the Taylor Swift superfans: Following the Record-Shattering Eras Tour Around the World With Taylor Swift’s Most Devoted Fans

“This Swift Beat” gives an inside look at Taylor Swift’s record-shattering Eras Tour, told through the eyes of her most devoted fans. Whether your kid begged to go to The Eras Tour, or their Spotify Wrapped was basically a Taylor Swift discography, this makes a perfect add-on to all of their other showgirl-themed Christmas gifts.

This Swift Beat: Following the Record-Shattering Eras Tour Around the World With Taylor Swift’s Most Devoted Fans

Step into Taylor Swift’s world of sequins and superstardom with “This Swift Beat.” USA TODAY journalists captured two years of moments from the Eras Tour. Shop this Taylor Swift book

Survive youth sports as a family with Coach Steve’s Youth Sports Survival Guide

Youth sports has become a $40 billion industry, fraught with pitfalls but also boundless benefits our kids can carry with them throughout their lives. How do we find the “right” team, coach and experience? This hardcover book is a must-read for parents and athletes of all ages.

Coach Steve’s Youth Sports Survival Guide: How Parents and Kids Can Get the Most Out of the Experience

Stephen Borelli (aka “Coach Steve”) draws on his three-decade perspective as a sportswriter as well as expert advice from notable sports figures past and present. Shop this Youth Sports Survival Guide

For the diehard Oregon fans: A Kid’s Guide to Oregon basketball legends

Oregon Basketball Legends: A Kid’s Guide to the Greatest Players Ever

This full-color, hardcover book showcases players like NBA Champion Bill Walton, Sabrina Ionescu of the Oregon Ducks, Blazers All Star Damian Lillard, and more, in a fun and engaging way. Shop this kid’s guide to Oregon basketball

Want more? Shop kid-friendly wall art, puzzles and more

Head coach resigned after one season with the Wolverines

The Bayfield High School football team will have a new head coach next season after Jason Wenzlau resigned from his position.

Wolverines Athletic Director Andy Duffy confirmed that Wenzlau resigned in early December, citing Wenzlau taking a new job as a reason for the resignation. Wenzlau was also supposed to teach for Bayfield, but never did, according to Duffy.

Wenzlau coached the team for one season after taking over for Glenn Wallace, who coached the Wolverines for three seasons and had the program on an upward trajectory. Wenzlau couldn’t continue that upward trajectory, and the Wolverines went 3-6 overall, missing the postseason. Bayfield lost its last six games, including an 0-5 record in the 2A Intermountain League.

The head coaching job was posted on Monday on the Bayfield School District website. The position pays $6,000 per season. Preference will be given to applicants who also apply for or are currently a certified teacher at Bayfield High School, according to the job posting.

“We’re looking for somebody who is really dedicated to the football team and the football program,” Duffy said. “We want someone who has the time and energy to build a program. That takes all year long with a good weights program and summer program. We want someone who really has the dedication to do that.”

Jason Wenzlau was unavailable for comment.

bkelly@durangoherald.com

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Barry L. Anderson, 83, a cherished father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully on December 12, 2025, at Milford Regional Hospital. Born on the Fourth of July in 1942, in the heart of Springfield, and raised in East Longmeadow, MA area, he was the beloved son of the late Arthur Anderson and Verna (Durkee) Anderson.

Barry was a student at East Longmeadow High School, where he first showcased his analytical mind, a trait that would become a hallmark of his personal and professional life. A proud graduate of Bryant College 1963, Barry’s intelligence and mathematical skills led him to a fulfilling career as a head buyer at Hendries Frozen Foods & New England Frozen Foods.

Barry and Joan P. (Scully) Anderson were teenage sweetheart and together for over 68 years. Joan passed this year in March after 61 years of marriage. They started their lives in the East Longmeadow area and then moved East to Milford in 1968. Together, they raised two sons, Gary Anderson of Worcester and Glenn Anderson and Jennifer of Milford. Barry’s life was further enriched by the joyous presence of his grandson’s Kyle and Connor Anderson, whose achievements and milestones he celebrated with enthusiasm. Barry was also predeceased by his sisters and their husbands, Allison Anderson Cahill, Truman Cahill, Joan Anderson Earnshaw, and Robert Earnshaw. Barry is survived, by several nieces and nephews & had a meaningful relationship with all. Each of them will carry forward the memories of time well spent with a man who cherished every moment with them.

A man of many passions, Barry was known in his youth as a phenomenal baseball player, a testament to his love for sports. This love extended beyond the diamond to all sports, as he enjoyed driving to any destination where he could be a spectator, especially to horse racing events. Barry’s presence at the Saratoga racetrack was yearly, and he often reminisced about the thrill of attending the Kentucky Derby. His love for these sports was more than a hobby; it was a way of life that brought him immense joy which led him to coach youth baseball for many years, play softball, and participate in bowling leagues into his late 40’s.

Barry loved the holidays, family vacations, and time away with those closest to him. The Anderson family Christmas Eve and Fourth of July traditions were especially meaningful, often spanning two days and holding a special place in his heart. He would drive through a blizzard without hesitation to be part of these celebrations, a testament to how deeply he valued family traditions. In his early years, Barry enjoyed long cross-country road trips with his parents, followed by Cape Cod vacations with the Anderson family and later trips to Hampton Beach with the Scully family. Barry and Joan also cherished their annual fall trips to the White Mountains, a tradition they enjoyed together for many years.

Barry and Joan dearly loved their family, which always included their dogs and cats. There was never a time when a pet was not part of their Milford home. Family and friends were always welcome, and they took great joy in making every meal, holiday, and gathering a special occasion for those who attended. Barry was a devoted son, a loving husband, a proud father, a caring uncle, and a cherished Papa.

Visiting hours are Wed. Dec. 17, 2025 from 10 – 11 AM in the Forastiere Smith Funeral Home, 220 N. Main St., East Longmeadow followed by a funeral service at 11 AM in the funeral home.

Burial will follow in Greenlawn Cemetery, E. Longmeadow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lupus Foundation of America https://www.lupus.org/welcome.

DURHAM, N.C. — There’s a youth movement at USA Basketball’s camp for its women’s program this weekend, with young WNBA players Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese making their debuts with the senior-level national team.

They’ve been competing against each other in college and the WNBA over the past few years, and Bueckers was happy to have them as teammates again. Many of the young players had competed together for the U.S. on American youth teams. They’re getting their first taste of the highest level of national teamp competition at Duke University, where U.S. women’s coach leads the Blue Devils women’s program.

“It’s great competing with them for a change instead of against them, and I think we really bring out the best of each other,” said Bueckers, whose 2025 already included leading the University of Connecticut to a record-extending 12th NCAA Division I tournament title, becoming the No. 1 pick of the WNBA draft, and being voted the league’s rookie of the year as a standout guard for the Dallas Wings.

“I think that’s what USA Basketball does,” Bueckers added of the ability to unite competitors for a similar cause. “Just so many amazing athletes and women coming together for one common goal. I think that’s always brought out the best of each other. It’s really fun to be able to share the court and be on the same side for a change.”

Clark is a guard for the Indiana Fever who was the WNBA’s top draft pick and rookie of the year in 2024. Reese is a forward for the Chicago Sky who was the No. 7 draft pick in 2024. Reese led LSU to the NCAA title in 2023, when the Tigers topped Clark’s Hawkeyes in the national championship game.

Bueckers gave the group the nickname “Young and Turnt” — a phrase used by youth players in the past to describe their high energy and excitement playing with USA Basketball.

The trio, along with other senior national newcomers Aliyah Boston, Cameron Brink and JuJu Watkins, are the future of USA Basketball with veterans Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi retired and other longtime fixtures of the roster nearing the end of their careers. The U.S. has won eight straight Olympic gold medals and four consecutive world championships.

Olympic veterans Kahleah Copper, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young are also at the three-day camp.

“Obviously there’s some vets and there’s the older class who have already came in and won gold medals, and they have that experience,” Bueckers said. “So as a younger group, you want to ask them questions, soak it up, be a sponge. Like, get their experience and then grow in our experience as well.”

The average age of the 17 players at the camp is just older than 25. Bueckers said having so many young players who have been together brings a comfort level.

“There’s a familiarity of competing with and against each other,” she said. “We kind of know each other, and it’s more comfortable that way, too. We’re all coming in, and we’re having the same expectations of just wanting to go in there and compete and have fun and bring our vibes in and just be us.”

Bird, who is now the managing director for USA Basketball, said this camp will hopefully give the new players a look at international basketball at its highest level.

“Really have it be a tone setter,” Bird, who helped the U.S. win five Olympic gold medals as a player, said of the plan. “What is it to wear USA on your chest? What is it to be on this team? Whether it’s a World Cup qualifier we’ll get to in March or hopefully the gold-medal game of a big competition, you have to set the tone on day one.”

Though many invitations went out for the camp, Bird said past Olympians such as A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Napheesa Collier had other commitments.

“There’s a lot of moving parts, that’s always how it is for USA Basketball,” Bird said. “For the young players, it’s a great opportunity to get their first feel and first taste.”