About me

I grew up in Bruce's Crossing, Michigan, on The Middle Branch of the Ontonogan River. We had an eighty acre farm with thousands and thousands of acres of wilderness surrounding us on three sides. I grew up hunting, fishing, working on farms, and riding bikes all over the place.

I attended and graduated from Ewen-Trout Creek, home of the Panthers. After graduation, I picked turkey eggs in Northern Minnesota (oh yes, a thousand and more a day). Turkey egg- picking isn't as fun as it sounds, so I moved back to the UP where I got a job working on roofs in the Copper Country for Paul Hyrkas Construction. Soon enough, I became a foreman, and spent the next twenty years working on all kinds of construction, with a seven year stint as my own boss, running Dan Helppi Construction. Oftentimes, we would run out of work in the winters, so I would work in the woods driving a pole skidder for Leonard Hill Logging. You think fifth grade is tough; you ought to try skidding logs for Lenny Hill when the steel chokers are sticking to your mitts 'cause it's so cold out, the trees are cracking from freezing too much, and Lenny is out at the landing timing your skids. I'm telling ya, it's not a place of comfort.

I got married fairly young (20) to Katy, and we had nine kids, still do, actually, with our tenth grader, Will, being lucky number seven. Lily is the oldest, followed by Abbey, Mandy, Leo, Finn, Heidi, Will, Elle, and Bree. Lily lives with us, Abbey lives in Dubai, U.A.E., Mandy just graduated from NMU, Leo and Finn are at MTU, and the rest are at Negaunee. , Heidi is a senior, Will is a tenth grader, Elle is in eighth, and Bree is in sixth grade.

We live out on Krooks Road, just south of the basin off of North Road, where we built a house over the past few years. Leo and Finn helped me build the house, and are stronger for it. We have now sold this home and are moving to a house in town this September.

I got educated at Gogebic Community College and NMU. I started college when I was 38 years old, first attending night school at Gogebic's Copper Country Center. We moved to the Negaunee area in 2014 so I could go to NMU for teaching. When we moved here, we chose Negaunee Schools over all the other districts because of the quality people we met when touring this school. Our kids have thrived here, and I am thrilled that I got hired here. I did my student teaching in seventh grade here with the now retired, Mrs. Levi. I love teaching, and especially love teaching here at Negaunee, home of the best education system I have seen. I promise to continue the tradition of greatness set forth by all of the educators, administrators and support staff of Negaunee Public Schools.

Rushmore (and Heidi) And The Badlands! (Katy and I)

Our house Leo nailin' cutthroat in WY

Katy and I at Arch Rock on Mackinac Island Finn riding shotty in Th Badlands

Marquette Mountain (Will, Heidi, Elle, And Bree) My folks with Mandy at her grad party.