Community Corner

Firefighter, Great-Grandmother Chosen as 2013-14 Raspberry Senior Ambassadors

Douglas Dyrland is the new senior king. Theresa Sydness is the new senior queen.

Two longtime residents were named as the 2013-14 Raspberry Festival senior ambassadors at a coronation Tuesday night.

Senior King Douglas Dyrland was a member of the Hopkins Fire Department for 15 years and retired as a battalion chief. He then became a fire degree instructor at Hennepin Techinical College and has continued to do that or the past 15 years.

Dyrland is also an esteemed leading knight with the Hopkins Elks and will become the Elks’ exalted ruler next year.

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Senior Queen Theresa Sydness moved to the Hopkins area in 1965 and recently moved to the downtown. She has six children, 20 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, with two more on the way.

She worked at Cheap Skate Roller Rink in Minnetonka and eventually moved up to assistant manager. Sydness now works at Protective Life Insurance Co. as an administrative assistant. She enjoys reading, baking, bingo and being involved in the Roller Garden Artistic Skating Club.

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Dyrland and Sydness replace 2012-13 ambassadors Dean Empanger and Mary Jo Mileski.



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