Three to be inducted into BTS Hall of Fame
Richard “Dick” Berlinski
Alvin “Dutch” Cummings
Debbie Poulson
Richard “Dick” Berlinski
Alvin “Dutch” Cummings
Debbie Poulson
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KINGSFORD -- Richard Berlinski, Alvin "Dutch" Cummings and Debbie Poulson will be the third class of inductees into the Breitung Township Schools Achievement Hall of Fame, district officials announced.
The event will be Friday, Oct. 9, with a social time beginning at 11:30 a.m. and lunch at noon at Pine Grove Country Club in Iron Mountain. Reservations are due by Friday, Oct. 2.
Berlinski, who graduated from Kingsford High School in 1965, was nominated by the late Art Viens, who was part of the first class of inductees.
"I had the good fortune to know Dick for over 60 years," Viens wrote in his nomination letter. "He was always concerned about how you were doing. Whenever he saw my wife and I working on Flivver sounds, he thanked us and told us how good they looked and wondering if we were feeling OK. He was a humble and good man."
"Dick was a great athlete but more so a humble man who did so much for our community," Heidi Strutz wrote in support.
Berlinski earned 16 varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball and track. He is the only Flivver to accomplish this feat.
In his nomination letter, Viens said Berlinski was part of the last class to graduate from the old high school.
He also excelled at academics and extracurriculars. He was a member of the National Honor Society, class president and a member of a number of clubs. He played football for Michigan State University on a scholarship and graduated with a business degree. He was the Big Ten's leading punter in 1968. He was honored with the Perseverance Award for overcoming two knee surgeries.
Berlinski was called the "Flivver Flash," "Berlin Express," "Fabulous Flivver" and the "Human Tornado" as part of the football teams that compiled a record of 28-5 from 1961-64. He scored a record of 194 points. He was all U.P. back of the year in 1963 and 1964, a Scholastic High School All-American in 1964 and was also named all state by the Associated Press, United Press International Detroit Free Press and Detroit News. His number 22 was retired in 1995. He set the U.P. long jump record of 22 feet 8 inches in 1963. He also still holds the school records for the 100-yard dash and 220-yard dash and was a starter for four years on the basketball and baseball teams.
When he returned to the area he operated Berlinski Financial Services and donated to many community organizations. He took part in many community activities, and was a member of the hospital board of trustees. He also volunteered to help with the JV football team and the Kingsford track team. He was inducted into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
He was married to Cindy Hulce Berlinski and the father of Ryan Erickson and Matt Erickson. He died April 5, 2024.
Cummings, who was also nominated by Viens, joins his son William "Bill" in the hall of achievement.
"A Kingsford coach once said that if he hadn't helped at least one young man be a better person, then the season was a loss. Alvin 'Dutch' Cummings never had a losing season," Viens said in his nomination.
Granddaughter Emily Cummings in her letter of support explained that once people discovered she was his granddaughter, "An immediate grin would appear and a favorite memory would eagerly be shared. These collective stories are always full of love, respect, laughter, and ways he positively impacted lives."
He was born in 1912 in Crystal Falls. Cummings attended Western Michigan University, where he played freshmen football. He transferred to Northern State Teachers College (later Northern Michigan University), where he played football, basketball, baseball and ran track. He graduated in 1937 with a degree in history, physical education and mathematics. He taught for five years at St. John High School in lower Michigan, where he coached football, basketball and baseball. After one-year stints in Lake Linden and Belding, Mich., where he also served as a coach, he began teaching at Kingsford in 1944. He taught physical education general science, history and mathematics, including geometry, for many years. He was also a semi-professional football and basketball player.
He served as athletic director from 1944 to 1950 and was reappointed in 1970 until his retirement in 1974. He started the girls basketball, track and tennis teams during these last years. He coached varsity football for four years, varsity basketball for six years, baseball for two years, track for four years, tennis for two years and golf for eight years. He was a junior varsity football coach or 13 years and freshmen basketball coach for 11 years after stepping down as varsity coach.
He ran the summer program for many years and also served as an official for football and basketball from 1951 until 1965.
He was co-founder of the U.P. Coaches Association, which existed from 1946 to 1967, and was the forerunner of the U.P. Athletic Directors Association, which he also helped organize.
He was later inducted in the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 1978, the first Flivver to be inducted, and was on the committee from 1975 to 1984. He was inducted into the Northern Michigan University Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.
He was married to the former Jean Bedford, who died in 2000. They had three children, William Cummings, Katherine Peterson and Glen Cummings and six grandchildren.
Poulson taught music and beginning band at Woodland Elementary School for 22 years, from 1988 to 2010.
Poulson was nominated by Leah Ziemba, who remembered as one of her favorite teachers.
"She was brilliant at conducting chaos into harmony and helping students find their voice. Music educators play a vital role in shaping student through creativity, discipline, and expression," Ziemba said in her nomination letter. "Many students continued with music into middle and high school. Mrs. Poulson touched the heart of many students and may of her students have carried those skills into adulthood."
In a letter of support for her nomination, Emily Ellis, another former student, noted that while she herself is not a musician and couldn't carry a tune, she developed a love of all genres of music because of Poulson. "Mrs. P's legacy is not just in the students who became musicians, but also in those of us who carry a lifelong love of music because of her influence."
Poulson was born in Lima, Ohio, on Sept 28, 1955, and graduated from Allen East High School in 1973 and later received a bachelor of arts in music education degree from Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, in 1977.
She taught at Anthony Wayne School in Whitehouse, Ohio, from 1977 to 1980. She did substitute teaching from 1987 to 1993, while doing graduate work at Northern Michigan University from 1988 to 1992. She then taught elementary music and beginning band from 1988 to 2010.
She was a member of the community chorus, coordinated music for Kiwanis' Kids in Action program, and organized various choir groups in different churches.
She is choir director and main pianist at First Methodist Church, and is active in Gideons International.
She volunteers and is involved in church and community organizations and helps at many local events, especially ones that involve children.
She and husband Paul have a daughter, Andrea, and son Nick.
Members of the committee that selected the honorees include Jamie Lockhart, Aaron Yonke, Angela Hall, Tom Christesen, Kelly Hansen, and Nick Gayan.
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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.