The outdoor recreation program at Nucla High School is thriving, and Brock Benson told the San Miguel Basin Forum that he and Bri Bonacquista are taking the kids on an extended field trip May 9. This year the new outdoor rec program, funded by grants and other donations, has been taking kids on weekly mountain bike rides to get them out on local trails, appreciating the landscape and moving their bodies.
The kids will ride part of the Paradox Trail on Thursday. Benson said it’s a big deal for students and something to celebrate. He said it’s even more special because Paul Koski, local mountain biking expert, helped establish the Paradox Trail, an important asset in the West End, and now local kids are riding it through the school for a PE credit.
“It’s a full-circle moment,” Benson said last Friday.
Additionally, Benson said this summer kids can continue their time on local trails by checking out mountain bikes through Paradox Cycle. It’s basically a rental process, though, for local students, there is no cost. For adults, who want to check out a bike for the day, the cost is $40.
And, some longer trips may be happening too. Benson said he and Bonacquista would like to get students out to Moab, Montrose, Cortez or the Grand Junction area to keep them riding. Details are being determined for trip possibilities. Benson said all of the future outdoor rec plans are exciting.
“Bri Bonacquista is an amazing partner,” he said. “We are hoping these opportunities can expand and keep these kids active and outside.”
And, the outdoor recreation program has a new logo. Benson said the kids had a contest, something that was needed for merchandising and branding. Akyma Ralston won the competition, and she has received $100 for her logo idea.
In other school news, the theatre kids held their spring play over the weekend. Directed by Benson and for the junior high and high school theatre class, the students performed “12 Angry Jurors” in their new school.
Benson said he used the original script of the play — “12 Angry Men” — but went with the modern, adapted title and incorporated women into the cast. The play ran Saturday and Sunday.
Anton Pierce and Kiera Rowan held leading roles, and the performance took place in a circular space with the audience extremely close, as if they were part of the jury.
On Sunday, Benson told the Forum the shows were “great.” He said the tickets sold out at the door both nights, and he had to add chairs to accommodate guests.
“David Quigley gave a memorable performance,” he said. “And a shout out to my junior high cast of Remi Long, Kynlie McCabe, Dallas Wallace and D.J. O’Connel for bringing maturity and panache to a very adult and complex script.”
And while the West End Public School’s board of education had some controversy the last few weeks, that seems to have settled. At the last school board meeting on April 30, all of the administrators’ contracts were approved. That means Sara Bray and Malisha Reed return as principals, with Clint Wytuklka serving as district superintendent.
