Fechino Files: Something Good!

Words: Steven Fechino
Photos: Steve Fechino

Mortar Net Solutions and Keene, Inc. have delivered the 2025 Masonry Apprentice Scholarships, and teachers across the country are presenting them as they change the lives of the recipients. This year, we were fortunate enough to have four National Masonry Instructors Association Hall of Fame instructors help prepare the award tool bags, spending the day giving back to the youth of tomorrow. Milton Young, Alonzo Lewis, Eugene Johnson, and Steven Fechino all pitched in to create this year’s awards for the 40 recipients. It was an event-filled day filled with laughter, memories, and even a few exaggerated stories (lies in some cases) of how it was once molded into what it is today. Greg Skyta and several sponsors also attended. Not only did they donate tools for the award, but they also made an on-site appearance to participate in the scholarship.

We are currently in our sixth year, trying to help the students who can benefit the most from some industry support. I say this as we are always trying to make the award better with additional sponsors, additional tools, and even company-branded swag. Everything we present has to have company branding. We feel that if you support the scholarship, then your brand should be exposed to the student; many times, the first exposure to a type of product may last a lifetime during a career. I know personally, I stay loyal to brands when I know they deliver what is promised. At one point in my career, I had to follow the lowest price to get by, and that did not work out so well in all cases.

The scholarship for 2026 will take the number of recipients to over 260 students over the past six years. We offer this scholarship to students who have at least one year of apprenticeship remaining before topping out. We would like to offer a scholarship to a student who can benefit financially from the award, as the value of the tools in the bag could take several years to acquire.

How does a student become a Masonry Apprentice Scholarship winner? Simple criteria are as follows: we are to determine that the student has the heart for the trade, interest in being their best, and a work ethic like the old days. Once a student is considered, further discussions will take place between Mortar Net Solutions and the sponsoring instructor, and final decisions are generally made in June of the year awarded. Students in consideration for this award are not to be made aware of the opportunity until the actual presentation in November of the award year. Presentations are big deals; students’ family or friend support system should be quietly invited as well as you would invite school administration personnel. Social Media exposure should be blown up for the students, as this is a National Scholarship based on character and hard work performed by the students. Yes, it is a big deal.

Please consider sponsoring a name for 2026 of a special student, and or becoming a new sponsor, as they are always important for the growth of the scholarship. Once all of the scholarships have been awarded, we will publish the students' names and the school where they are sponsored.

Admiral Peary Area Vocational Technical School

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Well, as you know, my column is generally written based on all the mistakes that I would make if I made mistakes when I work (yeah, right!). I mean, come on, mistakes and I go hand-in-hand. I will seriously mention that recently something happened in my shop that, over the years, I had seen on Reels when scanning social media, but never thought it would happen to me. Have you seen the grinder cutting wheel that comes apart and lodges itself into his safety glasses? I was cutting a bolt loose in the fender well of my truck, and without smoke or squeal, the cutting blade just came apart. If it had not been in the fender well of the truck, it could have ended up who knows where. I say this because I will be honest, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is something I could be known for being slack on at home.

The cutting disc is just a reminder that even when we do something we consider simple or quick, accidents can still happen, and they can be much worse than ever expected. I know that my body will be perpendicular to the rotation of the blade if possible, from this point on. The cutting wheel was brand new and had been kept in a heated building; it was not damp or cold, but it came apart in an instant. Be careful, oh, and one over two gets it every time.

Fechino Files: Something Good!

About: Fechino Files

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