School Administrators said a final farewell to retiring Superintendent Terry Tofte and Business Manager Doug Crane at a gathering at Denise Griffith’s house. Along with reminiscing and enjoying refreshments, tributes and gifts were given to both. A short skit reminded Doug of how indebted we all were to his knowledge of school finance and to his commitment and dedication to educational excellence and the people and programs that made that happen. 
Doug will be sorely missed. There were many times when I struggled with how to make new initiatives work to help struggling students and Doug helped me make them a reality.
Dr. Tofte was thanked for the leadership he provided us in bringing us successfully through the recent levy referendum and challenging us to improve learning and instruction in a hostile political climate and shrinking resources.
Tofte received a Tom Maakestad reproduction, which he admired as an excellent example of the serenity of rural life. After remarks to those attending, he extended a hand to me and said with a confident knowing smile, “. . . and here is our next Representative, David Bly.”
Dr. Tofte was among the first to encourage me to run two years ago and once again he has offered his support. Over the years of his service to Northfield Schools, I had numerous discussions with Dr. Tofte about topics as varied as motivating the unmotivated in an age of paradox, Thorstein Veblen, wind power, educational leadership, poetry, diversity, and serving the needs of underserved populations. I will miss his openness and intellect.
One of the books I shared with Tofte was Charles Handy‘s 
The Hungry Spirit. It ends with Handy’s recollection of his favorite painting, Piero Della Francesca‘s 
Resurrection.
I find his comment moving and it will continue to remind me of discussions I had with Terry:
For me the Resurrection carries a metaphorical meaning rather than a conventional religious one. I am free, goes that message, to break from my past and to recreate myself. If I do so, I will be stronger and more sure. Even if my life up to now is counted a failure by many, as was the life of the man in that painting, the best is yet to come. I do not have to stay slumped and sleeping like those soldiers, waiting for my orders. It may be that I shall not see the full results of my efforts, but I should so strive that others may profit, even if it be after my death. That is the sort of immortality that I can understand. It is a message that applies to all people, and to all businesses and institutions. The best is always yet to come if we can rise from our past.
It is that hope which sustains me, that and the certainty that we are most fully ourselves when we lose ourselves in our concern for others, or in a cause that is greater than we are.