Boasting about Brost: Chamber honors New Rockford's park maintenance foreman

One minute he's lying on his stomach, soaking wet, replacing a leaking sprinkler head at Legion Park. The next he's grabbing a chainsaw from the maintenance shed at Archie and Jessie Campbell Park, ready to chop a split cottonwood that fell down at the campground. Lynn Brost sees things most people don't, and he addresses them before they become issues. His hard work caring for New Rockford's public green spaces was noticed by the New Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce, who awarded him Employee of the Month for July.

Park maintenance is Brost's seasonal retirement gig. When he retired from BNSF Railway four years ago, he sought out something he could do to fill the hours. Why did he choose park maintenance? "I like being outside working," he replied. His neighbors can likely attest to this, as his yard on the 400 block of 1st Ave. S. is always well-kept and often decorated for the holidays.

Brost held several positions at BNSF during his 36-year career, from laborer and machine operator to foreman and track inspector. He began his career working out of the Nolan, N.D. headquarters for BNSF located just southwest of Page. He was also stationed in Hannaford for a time.

Born and raised in New Rockford, Brost is a local sports fanatic who recalls many great memories, first playing baseball, softball and football on park district facilities, then watching his son Travis do the same. He remembers when New Rockford had nine men's softball teams, and they formed their own league with a team from Sheyenne. Now, only one men's team plays on New Rockford's diamonds in the summer. The rules have changed as fast as the players have aged, mostly to speed up the game.

Brost traded in his cleats for sneakers, and now he's at the diamonds on game days before any player or coach, chalking the foul lines and setting the bases. The city's parks are in his mind's eye from April to October, as he makes sure that every fence line is mended and free of weeds, the hedges are expertly trimmed, holes are filled, and restrooms are clean and stocked.

This summer, he's spent hours restoring the many picnic tables that park visitors use for their parties and reunions. The work involves removing the boards, then scraping, sanding, priming and painting each one before reattaching it to the table's frame. The bleachers are also on his radar, as the elements have not been friendly to the coat of blue paint the boards were covered with in past years. Two coats of primer, followed by a generous coat of quality exterior paint will help preserve them for years to come, he surmises.

With the baseball and softball seasons winding down, Brost looks to football, where at the football field, there's a fence to fix in front of the crow's nest, yard lines to paint and more sprinkler heads to troubleshoot. He's also been watching the practice field, waiting for the right time to mow so it stays green. After all, the first home football game is a mere month away, and practices will be underway soon.

What's on his bucket list? Well, for one, he wants the east shelter by the pool to get electrical hook-ups. He also sees that the north diamond at Archie and Jessie Campbell Park needs a new fence. "The north diamond was in tough shape when I started," he said. His staff has worked hard to restore the diamond to playable condition, and with the help of volunteers and donations, new covered dugouts were constructed at both diamonds in the park this past year.

"We're always trying to get improvements out here," he said. The board is active, with its elected members always planning ahead and helping out whenever and wherever needed. His boss, New Rockford Park District Manager Dennis Nybo, has been a "real good asset" to the park, he added. The feeling is mutual.

"Personally, I want to thank him for his hard work," New Rockford Park District Manager Dennis Nybo said. "He cares about New Rockford and strives to make our parks, facilities and open spaces aesthetically pleasing for our citizens and visitors."

Do you know of someone who has gone above and beyond to take care of customers, patrons or fellow staff? Nomination forms are available at the Transcript office, or go online to http://www.cityofnewrockford.com/chamber and download a form to complete and return it to the Transcript office. Email nominations are also welcome and should be sent to [email protected]. The Employee of the Month program is sponsored by the New Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce, and one person is awarded each month.