Hudtloff Alumni Barry Crust: Brick Fundraiser Helped Pay For Copper Mural

A Hudtloff Middle School alumni says he has sold enough commemorative bricks from the old middle school to pay for a mural at the new one.

Barry Crust - who was part of the inaugural class of students who went to Hudtloff when it first moved into its old building back in 1957 - has raised enough money to commission a coppersmith from Port Townsend to create a mural for the new building.

"As you recall the mural was to depict the conversion of the 'Indian' mascot to the 'Hurricanes' mascot," the University Place resident wrote to Patch. "I found two images that fit the vision I had for the mural and supplied him with the superimposed Northwest Native American art image with the colorful hurricane."

"He has finished the mural, and I picked it up last Thursday and delivered it to Hudtloff last Friday," Crust added. "It is to be mounted above the inner entrance to the gym within the next two weeks. It is spectacular and very unique."

Above is a photo of the 8-foot-by-4-foot mural as it leans up against the gym wall ready to be installed.

The next phase of the brick fundraiser will be to mount a salvaged, 4-foot-by-3-foot brick section of the old gym as a historical marker on the exact site where the old gym stood.

This phase, Crust says, will be funded by the sale of bricks at the 50th Clover Park High reunion Aug. 24.  Members of this class were the first class to attend the first three years at the old Hudtloff, 1957-60.

"The marker will have a plaque stating that it was donated by this class," he said. "This too should be completed before the beginning of school."